


Princes and Soldiers, II

by alittlepieceofgundamwing_archivist, kracken



Series: Princes and Soldiers [2]
Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Angst, F/M, Family, Het, Lemon, M/M, Mission Fic, Preventers (Gundam Wing), Violence, Yaoi, once a soldier always a soldier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-09
Updated: 2013-03-09
Packaged: 2019-03-29 06:04:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 27,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13920927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alittlepieceofgundamwing_archivist/pseuds/alittlepieceofgundamwing_archivist, https://archiveofourown.org/users/kracken/pseuds/kracken
Summary: Sequel to Princes and Soldiers





	1. What Friends Are For

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. With Kracken's permission, I began manually importing her works to the AO3 as part of an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017.
> 
> I am keeping myself listed as an author to be able to fix any mistakes I might have made when importing. Please note that I am NOT a co-author -- this is all Kracken's brilliance.

"Miss!" Duo snarled. "GET OFF!" He pushed at the dog and sat up, naked and hair tangled all around him. He blinked at the dog sitting almost in his lap, her happy face looking at him eagerly. "Heero!" Duo shouted. "The damned dog needs to go out! Come on! It's my day off. I wanna sleep!"  
  
"Miss?" Heero peeked into the bedroom and saw the dog perched on Duo. He came into the room then, only wearing a pair of blue shorts and hair damp as if he'd just taken a shower. The dog thumped her tail, but didn't give up her perch. She tried to lick Duo in the face.  
  
"Heero!" Duo complained and fended her off.  
  
Milliardo muttered under the blankets next to Duo. His long, pale hair was the only thing visible.  
  
"She likes you," Heero said simply.  
  
"I don't know why," Duo retorted. "It's not like I encourage her or anything. OFF DOG!" he finally shouted and gave her a hard push. The dog landed neatly on the floor, tail still wagging, but head cocked in confusion.  
  
"Come, Miss," Heero called and the dog reluctantly obeyed, still looking back at Duo hopefully. Heero rubbed her behind the ears and smiled gently down at her.  
  
"Relena better never find out that you named that mutt after her," Duo said with a shake of his head.  
  
"Why would it bother her?" Heero wondered, looking confused. "She's a sweet, loving dog and Relena-"  
  
"Heero," Milliardo said, still under the blankets, "Never put the name of my sister and dog in the same sentence. She would appreciate that even less."  
  
Heero's face cleared and Duo knew that he had passed off the whole conversation as beyond his understanding of women. "Heero," Duo prodded. "I think she's about to bust. You better take her out."  
  
"All right," Heero agreed and led the dog away, closing the door behind him.  
  
Duo was suddenly snagged by a powerful arm and pulled underneath an equally powerful body. Blue eyes were looking down into his own and a fall of long, pale hair was a curtain all about them. Duo opened his legs invitingly and Milliardo slid between them, pressing their arousals together. Milliardo's _expression was equally aroused. Duo's, on the other hand, was thoughtful, even when his legs rose and wrapped around Milliardo's slim waist.   
  
"That's encouraging," Milliardo said in disappointment.  
  
Duo came back to himself and smiled at his lover, "Sorry, just thinking."  
  
Duo used the leverage of his legs to pull himself up to rub a definite erection against Milliardo. "You know I'm interested."   
  
Milliardo reined in his passion tightly and lowered himself until he was stretched out beside Duo, Duo's legs still locked around him. He propped his head on his hand and studied his lover. His free hand gently played with the small ring in Duo's nipple as he said, "Talk to me." If Duo was troubled, he wanted to know why.  
  
Duo looked pensive. "How many points do I lose if I tell you I was thinking about Heero's love life, or lack of it?"  
  
"None," Milliardo assured him and kissed him. Breaking the kiss reluctantly, and reigning himself in again, he urged, "Go on."  
  
Duo sighed, "Well, he hasn't been seeing anyone besides 'Miss Relena', the dog, since he moved in with us. That goes against all my plans to make Heero a full fledged member of regular society."  
  
"It is strange that he named the dog after my sister," Milliardo mused. "Could he have feelings for her?"  
  
"The dog?" Duo teased.  
  
Milliardo frowned.  
  
Duo relented. "I don't know. I don't think so. I guess that he thinks the sun shines on her and all, but... well, I think he thinks that she is out of his class and that...."  
  
When Duo paused, Milliardo left off playing with the nipple ring and cupped his lover's face. He rubbed Duo's cheek with his thumb, "You can always talk to me truthfully. If you think It's Relena who doesn't measure up..."  
  
Duo shook his head, "No, it's not that... I think Heero believes that she's all about peace, sweetness, and light and he's just a bloody terrorist. He'll probably always think that just being around her... sullies her somehow."  
  
Milliardo went very quiet and Duo was suddenly worried that he had said the wrong thing. "Mil?" he questioned anxiously.  
  
Milliardo shook himself, coming out of dark memories. "It's nothing. I... I used to think that about myself at one time; that I wasn't worthy to rule the Sanc Kingdom, or be around my sister, because of the blood on my hands."  
  
Duo was suddenly a warm bundle in Milliardo's arms, holding him tight with wiry arms. "We can't change the past, " Duo said against his chest, "and we aren't responsible for most of it. You and Heero have both got to stop beating yourselves up over it."  
  
Milliardo smiled down at the fierce young man in his arms. "For you, I would do anything you ask."  
  
Duo snickered. "You are so going to regret that."  
  
Milliardo pushed Duo back into the blankets to see his face and found Duo grinning wickedly at him. Milliardo raised one pale eyebrow. "What do you have in mind, Maxwell?"  
  
Duo laughed, but then grew more serious, "Well, it was real hard for Heero to stop blaming Relena for what happened to me. Being her guard didn't cause me to get attacked by ex Oz soldiers, just as his accepting that job and working long hours didn't either. Now that they've talked it out, thanks to you forcing them to be together in the same room, Heero is back thinking that the sun shines on her and that she embodies peace. That's real important, Mil. She is his excuse for the war. Her cause for peace gives him something to hold onto and comfort himself with when he stops to think about all the people he... we killed in the war."  
  
Milliardo nodded. "I sensed that in him. He was angry, but it hurt him to be that angry with her." He gave a strand of Duo's long bangs a small tweak. "So, what are you suggesting? You've already said that my sister isn't a candidate for Heero to date."  
  
Duo winced and then reached up to grab two handfuls of Milliardo's hair. He pulled the man very close. "Relena is queen of social. I think it's time Heero went to a few parties."  
  
Milliardo was skeptical. "Duo.... I know you wish to help Heero, but have you considered that he might prefer to be single? Have you talked to him about this?"  
  
Duo frowned. "If you're trying to say that, even though he isn't gay, he's going to devote himself to me entirely and refuse to date, I'd have to say you're nuts. Heero and me used to be sex buddies, but that's it. I love him like a brother and he loves me that way too, but, bottom line, he's just like every other red blooded young man; he wants a warm body, preferably one that loves him."  
  
Milliardo sat up, the blankets pooling around his hips. His long, slim waist and his broad shoulders were peppered with scars, but he was built as perfectly as a sculpture. Duo couldn't keep one of his hands from smoothing along his lover's skin and caressing over one prominent bicep.  
  
"If you're asking me to arrange for Heero to meet women for the purpose of sex, then I will have to object," Milliardo said sternly. He frowned when Duo laughed at him. "Duo," he said, even more serious, "I don't know what you're used to, but in polite circles, young girls are treated with respect."  
  
Duo's laughter died. Milliardo felt a chill when he saw all emotion simply disappear off of Duo's face. His amethyst eyes were as hard as granite as he said evenly, "What I'm used to, you don't want to know, but I haven't let it make me into the kind of person that would-"  
  
Milliardo suddenly understood what he had implied with his words and he pulled Duo into a frantic embrace, cradling Duo's head against his shoulder and kissing his face feverishly, "Forgive me, love! I... I wasn't thinking! Of course you are not that kind of person."  
  
Duo was rigid for a moment, but then he let out an exasperated sound and pushed back from Milliardo. He glared, but the hardness had left him. "There's still so much we don't know about one another," he said irritably. "You expect me to act like trash and I expect you to act like an elitist. We have to get that stuff out of our heads, Mil, and see what's in front of us."  
  
Milliardo nodded, subdued. "Forgive me," he whispered again.   
  
Duo sighed, "When I said Heero wants a warm body like anyone else, I'm just stating a fact," Duo said. "I didn't mean for you to think that's all I wanted for him. Heero needs a companion. A love. He's not going to find that hiding out here and only hanging out with soldiers. Relena has parties and young girls go to them. Heero can go and rub elbows. Maybe he'll get some sparks off of one of them."  
  
Milliardo nodded. "I think that you're right. I'll call Relena later today and try to arrange something."  
  
"Good." Duo's face slowly broke into a smile again, but it was still tempered by a small amount of hurt. Milliardo caressed Duo's cheek and leaned down to capture his lips with his own in a tender kiss. Duo's smile became more genuine. "Okay, it's impossible to stay mad at you when you do that," Duo told him. "Get back here in bed and let's 'make up'."  
  
Milliardo stretched out beside Duo, captured him in his strong arms, and pulled Duo on top of him under the covers. Their bodies met and both of them were heated. When Duo reached down and caressed his hard length, Milliardo shivered and moaned. He fumbled to the side table, jerked open a drawer, and found a tube of lube. Duo grinned and took it from him.  
  
"Door!" Milliardo groaned as Duo squirted the cool gel, warmed it with his hands, and then applied it to Milliardo's raging hard on. "Lock it."  
  
Duo's grin turned very wicked. "Don't you like to live dangerously, Commander Marquise?"  
  
"Duo," Milliardo began to complain, mortified. It was just like Duo to be that open, that bold, that damned erotic. Milliardo was too reserved, too straight laced for that kind of exhibitionism. All he could think of was Heero returning from walking the dog and opening that door. The man was very polite, but one never knew. Even the barest off chance of discovery was enough to make Milliardo's face flame.  
  
Duo's hands, stroking up and down hard, wouldn't let Milliardo's embarrassment effect his need. When he raised his hips and put the tip against his entrance and rubbed there, smearing lube and preparing himself, Milliardo felt his brain short circuit. Suddenly, as Duo slowly lowered himself and his erection slid into tight heat, Milliardo didn't care about unlocked doors, or ex Gundam pilots. He reached up and pulled his lover down to him, devouring him with kisses as Duo began a rocking motion. Milliardo pushed upwards to meet that downward motion, sheathing himself completely. Then it was frantic, heated thrusting, Duo riding him briefly and then Milliardo capturing him and rolling him underneath. He thrust in and out of his lover as Duo panted, groaned, and let out small whimpers; arching his back and opening himself wide to receive Milliardo's large length. Milliardo came first, spasming and feeling as if his very life was spurting out into gouts into Duo along with his come. Grabbing and pumping Duo's erection, he soon had Duo crying out and shooting hot, thick come over both their bellies.  
  
They collapsed, then, wrapped around each other, both of them hot and sticky with sweat and sheets tangled all around them.  
  
"Ow!" Duo said simply.  
  
"All right?" Milliardo panted through his exhaustion.  
  
"Just wondering if I'm ever going to get used to Mr. Humongus down there," Duo replied, but then nuzzled Milliardo's neck and nipped him under the ear, to tell him that he was just teasing.  
  
"It's your impatience," Milliardo teased back. "You never allow yourself time to adjust."  
  
"Because you are so damned hot, that's why," Duo breathed back, his warm breath tickling Milliardo's ear. He quieted after that, both of them resting together and caressing each other lightly.  
  
"You're thinking," Milliardo said with a chuckle.  
  
"The rusty wheels that loud?" Duo laughed back.  
  
"You're too quiet," Milliardo told him. "That's how I know."  
  
"Well," Duo joked, "You know I can't chew gum and walk at the same time. Thinking's the same way."  
  
Milliardo snorted. "Duo, you and I both know that you are a genius. Stop acting as if you weren't."  
  
"Never tip your full hand," Duo laughed, but then, "Well, I was thinking about all that I came through to end up here, in your bed."  
  
"Our bed," Milliardo corrected.  
  
"Yeah," Duo amended sheepishly. "Our bed. Just seems incredible. Once in awhile, it hits me and I have to thank my lucky stars."  
  
"Lucky stars?" Milliardo repeated, amused.  
  
"Yeah," Duo said as he closed his eyes and began to fall asleep in the warm embrace of his lover, "I don't have many of them, in case you haven't noticed."  
  
"Enough," Milliardo replied as he to began to doze of in languid afterglow. "Enough to bring us together. That's all that matters."


	2. Light Fantastic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. With Kracken's permission, I began manually importing her works to the AO3 as part of an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017.
> 
> I am keeping myself listed as an author to be able to fix any mistakes I might have made when importing. Please note that I am NOT a co-author -- this is all Kracken's brilliance.

"Duo?" Milliardo looked up at the ex Gundam pilot, his one time enemy, his , now, lover. Duo was stretched along a tree branch just above Milliardo's head. Wearing jeans and a tshirt, and braid hanging down past Milliardo's face, Duo looked relaxed and dreamy, smiling at a leaf that he was twirling in one hand. The faint sounds of traffic came to their ears, they were still in the city after all, but the picture of peace and contentment canceled that out. It was all very idyllic and Milliardo hated to break the mood with hard facts.  
  
Duo turned his smile on Milliardo. "Hm?"  
  
"Now that you've become used to nature, I can hardly pry you away from it," Milliardo teased, trying to ease into the subject.  
  
Duo gave a small shrug of one shoulder. "I never knew how peaceful it could be. It was always just something you passed by in a park on the way to somewhere else on the colonies, all artificial and lifeless. There weren't any birds or squirrels, not even any bugs. During missions, it was all a liability and damned uncomfortable when I was trying to get to out of the way bases with minimal supplies and no backup."  
  
Milliardo gave a gentle snort. "You could enjoy nature just as well down here. You look ready to fall."  
  
Duo's amethyst eyes twinkled at Milliardo. "I think your danger standards have fallen a lot since the war Mill. You've gone from fighting scores of Leos with only a buster rifle to being afraid of a seven foot drop from a tree branch."  
  
Milliardo laughed. "All right, so I'm transparent. I'd like to talk and I don't want to get a pain in my neck looking up at you." He motioned to a set of lawn chairs by a small, bubbling pool of water. It was in the warm sunlight.  
  
"It is kind of chilly in the shade, " Duo grinned, "and this tree branch is grating on my nipple ring. Let's go."  
  
Duo swung down, hung by a sure grip for a moment, and then dropped as light as a cat to his feet next to Milliardo. He motioned Milliardo to proceed him. When Milliardo did, Duo reached out and hooked a finger into the belt loop of Milliardo's casual tan pants and let it pull him along. When Milliardo looked back, Duo smiled impishly.  
  
"You always look damn good in red, Mill," Duo commented as they reached the chairs. Milliardo sat down and Duo released his grip on his pants. Instead of taking his own seat, though, Duo straddled Milliardo's lap and looked down at him, his grin still in place. He fingered the collar of Milliardo's red tshirt and pulled it wide to look down it at Milliardo's broad, muscled chest. "Are you cold, Mill?" Duo teased. "Your nips are hard."  
  
"Nips?" Milliardo blushed hotly. "Duo," he cleared his throat and made Duo release his shirt. He tried to get things back on more serious ground. It was hard, though, with his very handsome lover sitting on... Milliardo cleared his throat again. "Duo, we should talk about Relena's party."  
  
Duo blinked as if it had been the farthest thing from his mind. Milliardo was sure that it had been. His lover never worried about anything for long. He took what came and dealt with it then. Heero was the planner, the strategist, the anal retentive, detail oriented individual of the partnership. Duo was the fast thinker, the fly by the seat of his pants agent, the one who came up with good, last minute solutions when things didn't go as Yuy planned them. They complimented each other perfectly. Apart, though, Duo's lack of dealing with upcoming situations came very close to maddening for Milliardo. If Heero was the planner, and Duo was the one who carried out the plan, Milliardo was the one who gave the orders and expected people who planned, and carried out those plans, to do them to his satisfaction. Duo's laid back, come what may, attitude had launched them into more than one argument.  
  
"I thought she planned everything and we just showed up and ate her food," Duo told him honestly. "I went to one once and I remember it being nice."  
  
"There are several dynamics that weren't present then, "Milliardo pointed out.  
  
Duo played with Milliardo's hair. It was in a braid similar to Duo's and it had been tied at the bottom with a black ribbon. Duo wound the braid around his wrist as if he were trying to make a pale bracelet. He sighed. "If you're afraid Heero's going to embarrass Relena, or himself, you don't have to worry. He might glare at people, but he was taught the finer points of partying with important people as part of his infiltration training. He won't be stepping on people's feet when he dances."  
  
Milliardo's hand closed over Duo's and he stopped Duo from playing with his braid. Their eyes met and Milliardo could see that Duo knew very well what he was leading up to. Duo looked annoyed... even rebellious, and that made Milliardo chill thinking about possibilities. Heero wasn't going to be the problem, he knew, it was Duo he had to worry about.  
  
"You can't have any fists fights or name calling contest while we are there," Milliardo said, point blank. "You can't get upset when someone... when someone wonders, 'who brought in the trash?'." Duo flinched and Milliardo could see his jaw clench. "You can't fight everyone who wonders if you're being with me for personal gain. You can't-"  
  
Duo was suddenly springing off of his lap and turning away from him, standing rigidly and fists clenched. "You don't have to tell me this stuff! I know I have to let them take their pot shots and roll with it."  
  
"I wish...," Milliardo stood and spooned up against Duo's back, wrapping strong arms around his lover. Duo softened after a moment and leaned back into his warmth, the sun playing over them both and sparkling in the pool before them. "I wish it wasn't going to be that way, but we both know, that someone will say something. The odds are in favor of it most definitely. I don't want to say, 'Get used to it', because I wish we didn't, but we... we both have to learn to ignore such comments thrown our way. You do realize the gossip our match has generated? This won't be a simple get together with my sister with our friends in attendance. This will be a large get together with people who still think that two men together as a couple is a perverted situation, and some who think that someone of my... background, with anyone less than their ideal, is worse."  
  
Duo snorted. "Mill, I was hooked up with Heero before you. I know you'd like to forget that, but we didn't exactly get pats on the back for it from other people. There is this whole, 'You're a damned terrorist killer' stigma I've had to put up with, too, and, oh, yeah, the L2 street scum, label, I always forget about that one... well, most of the time. I've worked up a pretty thick skin, okay? I promise not to pee in the planter, wipe my snot on my sleeve, and not to kill any other guests while I'm there, okay, Mill?"  
  
Milliardo's arms tightened on Duo and he kissed Duo's slim neck. "I'll try not to kill them, either."  
  
Duo started and looked over his shoulder at Milliardo's thoughtful frown.  
  
Milliardo grumbled, "Do you imagine it will be easy to contain myself if someone insults you or our relationship?"  
  
Duo smiled tenderly and turned to give him a bear hug, almost managing to lift Milliardo off his feet. Milliardo staggered and they almost fell into the pond. Duo dropped him just as quickly, though, and grinned at him with his heart in his eyes. "Love you."  
  
Milliardo kissed Duo deeply and then said, "I love you too, so we both have to remember that nothing they do or say will ever touch that."  
  
Duo eyed Milliardo's height. "We'll look goofy enough just standing next to each other. No dancing."  
  
"Do you dance?" Milliardo wondered with a pale, arched eyebrow.  
  
Duo smirked. "I had a couple of lessons at the schools I had to attend, so yeah, I can. I'd be staring at your belt buckle, though. That could be embarrassing."  
  
Milliardo smiled and pulled Duo into a dance position, holding his hand and sliding and arm around his wiry waist. "It's not that bad," he said. The top of Duo's head barely reached Milliardo's collarbone, but he thought that Duo stood gracefully and he balanced well. Duo looked up at him, smiling. His large eyes sparkled. "Not bad at all," Milliardo repeated softly, cupped Duo's chin, and bent to give him a loving kiss. Duo leaned into him, hands cupping Milliardo's ass and kneading there.   
  
"Well," Duo said huskily as Milliardo broke the kiss with a start. "We're the perfect height for some things."  
  
Milliardo looked stern, but it was only half serious. "If you do that on the ballroom floor, it will be embarrassing."  
  
Duo smirked. "What's the matter? Don't like this?" Duo rubbed against Milliardo's crotch and his hands began to do wonders.   
  
Milliardo made a sound of pleasure. "You... You are insatiable."  
  
Duo became serious suddenly. "I'm not," he said as if Milliardo had accused him of something dirty. "I just love you and, because I do love you, I want to be with you as much as I can. It isn't all about sex, Mill. You do know that?"  
  
It was the perfect moment to talk about it, Milliardo thought. He caressed Duo's face and then said honestly, "Your needs are stronger than mine, love. Sometimes, they can be... somewhat overwhelming."  
  
Duo cocked his head to one side, startled. "Oh... so... I'm pushing you? Doing things you don't like? You should have come right out and told me before, Mill."  
  
Milliardo felt uncertain. Was Duo looking hurt or understanding? It was such a difficult thing to discuss, especially among two men. Milliardo found himself looking at the pond as he said, "It isn't that I don't like the pleasure that you give me. I am simply much more... conservative. You are... impulsive and ... uninhibited."  
  
"I think you were hinting about this before," Duo sighed and ran a hand through his bangs as he blew out a puff of air in exasperation. "You have to tell me these things, Mill. I want to know if you don't like something." He made a face. "Course, if you're going to tell me that you only like it one way, I think we're going to have to talk about give and take too."  
  
Milliardo blushed and hated himself for doing it. Duo laughed at him and pulled him down for a kiss.  
  
"Maybe you need me to loosen you up?" Duo told him. "Maybe-"  
  
Milliardo blushed even harder at the clear innuendos. "I'm not talking about that and you know it. I'm talking about..." He paused, trying to find a polite wording. "Public displays? Sex that is rather.... graphic?"  
  
Duo grunted. "Like?"  
  
Milliardo licked suddenly dry lips. He couldn't help the swelling in his pants and Duo could feel it. "When we were... washing dishes and you..." He swallowed hard.  
  
"Yanked down your shorts and used my soapy hand to beat you off?" Duo finished bluntly. Milliardo nodded and Duo sighed. "Why didn't you like that?"  
  
Milliardo found the words suddenly. "You said before that it wasn't just about sex, Duo... When you do things like that... it makes it feel to me like it IS just about sex. I feel... I want to make love to you, not just feel like we're relieving ourselves."  
  
"Ah," Duo thought about that. "So..." He frowned and then said, "You want more foreplay?"  
  
"More... romance," Milliardo corrected.  
  
"And not in the kitchen?" Duo guessed.  
  
Milliardo shook his head.  
  
Duo continued, "Or me kneading your ass out here on the lawn?"  
  
Milliardo shook his head again. "It... embarrasses me. I feel pleasure, but-"  
  
"Guilty pleasure," Duo finished. When Milliardo nodded again, Duo shook his head. "You are a complicated man, Mill. Guess that's why I love you; the challenge."  
  
Milliardo saw Duo's amusement and he managed a smile as well. "Perhaps you should tell me if anything has been bothering you as well?"   
  
Duo looked suddenly reserved.  
  
"Duo?" Milliardo prompted, worried.  
  
Duo shrugged, "Well, I do keep ending up on the bottom. I love you, but, Mill, you're huge. I'd like a chance to do other things, okay?"  
  
Milliardo knew what Duo was saying and he felt ... He had managed not to let it come to that in their relationship. How to tell Duo that he felt uncomfortable contemplating it? Something dominant in him, raised it's hackles. It was primal and foolish, but he couldn't help feeling almost defensive when ever Duo tried to steer their lovemaking in that direction.  
  
Duo read his _expression and he sighed. "I can see this is another thing that makes you uncomfortable." He slid arms around Milliardo's waist and hugged him close. "Mill, you have to explore the possibilities. Trust me, okay?" he grinned. "You just had an entire conversation about sex in the middle of the garden and you started it. You can't tell me that was a bad thing?"  
  
"When the conversation began, we were talking about a party," Milliardo grumbled, but then relented. "All right, Duo, I won't insist that you and I become completely circumspect, but I would like some privacy."  
  
Duo leaned sideways and plucked a rose from a bush. He hissed as a thorn pricked his finger. Sucking on the tiny wound, he handed the rose to Milliardo. When Milliardo looked questioningly back at him, Duo said with a smile. "Your eyes are lovely, sir, and your hair is like silk. I would love for us to go back to our room and talk about the rest of your loveliness some more."  
  
"Duo," Milliardo warned, giving his lover a mock frown.  
  
Duo looked innocent. "I'm trying to romance you."  
  
"And that's all you have in mind?" Milliardo wondered doubtfully.  
  
Duo grinned. "Well, you know I don't lie. All of this sex talk just has me... kind of excited."  
  
Milliardo snorted. "We have work to do out here and in the house, Duo."  
  
Duo pouted. "Mill, this is kind of painful," he complained.  
  
"Then the sooner you get your mind off of THAT, the better," Mill replied with a chuckle.   
  
"You're a cruel man," Duo growled as he followed Milliardo to a tool shed. "If you were a proper Prince, you'd have gardeners to do all of this."  
  
Milliardo didn't say it, but he felt Duo stop and then start walking again and he knew that Duo had thought of it himself, that if Milliardo were a proper prince, he wouldn't be with Duo at all.  
  
"You are living with a career soldier," Milliardo said, to cover over the moment. "Discipline is something that I learned from the cradle. That means work before pleasure, I'm afraid."  
  
Duo brightened, "Does that mean AFTERWARD I can romance you?"  
  
Milliardo smiled, thinking of it. "Yes, most definitely."  
  
"Then give me a rake, Mill," Duo chuckled. "You just guaranteed that the work is getting done in record time."


	3. Lighter than Air

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. With Kracken's permission, I began manually importing her works to the AO3 as part of an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017.
> 
> I am keeping myself listed as an author to be able to fix any mistakes I might have made when importing. Please note that I am NOT a co-author -- this is all Kracken's brilliance.

"Both of you need to stop glaring, " Duo said in exasperation. "We just got here. No one's had a chance to say, 'hi' or 'eat shit and die' yet."  
  
Milliardo pulled at  the collar of his tailored, blue coat. It had a high collar and embroidery on sleeve and hem. Gold buttons winked down the front and his dark pants made him seem even taller. He had tied his hair back with a blue ribbon, but his bangs were as unruly as ever, hanging in his ice blue eyes. Heero was dressed all in black; black, velvet coat, black pants, and black dress shoes. A white, high colored dress shirt peeked out at hem and sleeve, relieving some of the lack of color, but it didn't  make Heero look any less intimidating. Standing on either side of Duo, who was dressed in a red coat and pair of pants, trimmed in gold, and had a gold band tying off the bottom of his braid, they looked like guards rather than guests at a festive party. Milliardo was as rigid and as correct as any soldier and Heero exuded 'dangerous'. Duo hooked an arm around both of their waists and gave them both a hug as he drew them further into the room.  
  
"Smile," Duo ordered. "Nod. Look pleasant."  
  
"Duo," Milliardo complained. "I think it would be best if we went our separate ways and didn't..." He searched for the right phrase.  
  
"Look like a frontal assault?" Duo supplied.  
  
"Yes," Milliardo replied.  
  
"You're right," Duo agreed as he gave Heero a small push. "Go stand by the refreshment table, Heero, and don't glare. If you see a girl alone, go talk to her. She's probably lonely and would appreciate a nice, handsome guy making conversation."  
  
Heero hesitated.   
  
Milliardo nodded to where his sister was standing. "I will go pay my respects to Relena."  
  
"And I'll..." Duo began, trying to think, but Heero suddenly shook his head and moved back to his elbow.  Duo sighed. "There's security everywhere, Heero," he said to his friend. "The only thing people can do here is talk nasty to me."  
  
Heero was immovable, his jaw tight and his eyes shadowed. Duo realized that he would keep looking that way even if he did go off on his own.  
  
"All right," Duo conceded, "Stay with me, but I intend to introduce you to some people and I do expect you to talk to them, okay?"  
  
Heero looked relieved. "All right. I'm sorry, Duo," he felt the need to apologize. "I can't help..."  
  
"I know," Duo told him and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "I feel the same way.... but, we can't let it interfere with you having a life."  
  
Heero looked pensive. "This was your idea, Duo. I haven't felt the need for... companionship."  
  
"That's why you have a dog now?" Duo shot back. "That's why you watch other couples and sigh a lot? That's why you went along with this at all, because you don't need anyone in your life except me, Mill, and Missy?"  
  
Heero looked pained. "I don't want to lose you."  
  
Duo gave him a hard hug. "You won't. I promise. Ever. No matter what. We mean too much to each other Heero. Our friendship is always going to be rock solid. Trust me when I say that. You need... something else, though. Something that I can't give you. You know what that is, don't you? When we were together, we both knew THAT wasn't part of what we were to each other. That's why we couldn't be a couple. Somewhere out there," he made a sweeping gesture with one hand, "maybe even at this party, there is some girl out there who can give you that. You shouldn't live life without it, Heero."  
  
"What is IT, though?" Heero wondered, at a loss. "What was missing when we were together? Why did it feel so..."  
  
"Flat?" Duo offered. "Empty? Going through the motions?" Heero nodded. "Because we love each other... but not like we should have, not like me and Mill love each other. I can't explain it, Heero. You have to feel it for yourself. When you do, though, you'll know, without a doubt, what was missing. You need to have it, Heero. You need to look for it."  
  
Heero never operated with abstracts. He wanted facts and a clear mission. His frown only deepened. Duo sighed.  
  
"Come on, Heero," Duo said. "Let's at least find you someone to dance with."  
  
It wasn't easy. Heero was 'on guard'. Duo wasn't a polished, well bred, person, but he knew how to smile and charm, and it wasn't hard for him to find a few pretty girls willing to speak to a pair of war heroes. It was Heero who raised the difficulty level. Rather than stay focused on the girl he was supposed to be speaking with, he constantly 'checked' the area and, when he did focus momentarily on what was being said, he gave monosyllabic replies that showed clearly that he wasn't interested in what was being said.  
  
After the third girl gave an annoyed, yet polite excuse and went away, Duo turned on Heero with a scowl. "You're not trying very hard."  
  
Heero sighed. "I can't relax in a place like this. There are too many possibilities."  
  
"It's a party," Duo retorted. "We are surrounded by people. It would be nuts for anyone to attack us here."  
  
Heero looked uncomfortable. "I can't help it. I can't not be alert to our situation."  
  
"There isn't any situation!" Duo exploded and then forced himself to calm down. "Okay, Heero. Sorry. I guess I shouldn't be hoping for anything on the first try. You have a real .... challenging personality. We have to find just the right person who can accept that."  
  
Heero looked suddenly depressed. "Duo, can I say something?"  
  
Duo raised eyebrows. "You know you can, Heero."  
  
Heero took a deep breath and then said, "I would like it if we didn't try and meet anyone. I would like-"  
  
"For me not to play matchmaker?" Duo guessed.  
  
Heero nodded.  
  
"Okay." Duo rubbed at the back of his neck. "So, you just want it to happen if it will happen and not push it?" Another nod. Duo studied Heero's dark scowl. Maybe rabid wolverines would decide to come up and talk to them, but Duo was sure that young ladies at a high brow party wouldn't. He supposed that he had to count the party  a bust already. He began to make silent plans to have a more intimate, one on one, with a few ladies that Relena might suggest. He should have known that someone with a hair trigger like Heero couldn't let down his guard in a room with so many strangers.  
  
"Boys." Duo turned at the almost insulting greeting just as Noin walked past with a drink in one hand. She was dressed in a black coat with silver trim, pants and black boots. Her hair was almost a buzz cut. "I hate these parties," Noin was muttering to herself.  
  
"One of the drawbacks of being Relena's guard, I guess," Duo said. He had never really liked the woman and he couldn't resist making the comment. He supposed it had to do with the fact that she had almost worshiped Milliardo and finding out that he preferred men to her affections had hit her hard. She had cut off all contact with the man after that revelation and had become Relena's number one guard and confidant.  
  
Noin stopped dead in her tracks and looked over her shoulder at Duo, her glare was so much like Heero's that Duo started. "You have what you want, rubbing it in is just low class."  
  
"You used to be so nice," Duo replied. "Being bitter isn't going to make Mill straight."  
  
Noin turned around then, hand on hip. "You think I'm bitter about his sexuality?"  
  
"Yeah," Duo replied. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have turned, 'drawbacks of being Relena's guard' into, 'I have Mill and you don't, nyah!'  I wasn't even thinking that, you know. I was thinking more along the lines of, 'She's being pissy, I wonder if I can make her lose it.' I just can't resist." He grinned at her.  
  
Noin looked at Heero, angry and perplexed. "Why do you hang around with this... infant? You are a top notch soldier. You could pick and choose any position out there. Instead, you partnered yourself with this... lunatic... and, in so doing, ruined any chances you had of rising to a higher level of command."  
  
Heero stared back and then replied simply, "Duo used a valid technique of  'feeling out' a possible opponent. He tested you to see what level of danger you might represent."  
  
Noin blinked. "Testing me?" She glared at Duo. "And what was your conclusion?"  
  
Duo kept grinning. "You might try and punch me, but killing me is out."  
  
She lifted a dark eyebrow. "Accurate."  
  
"Thanks," Duo replied almost impishly.  
  
Noin took a sip of her drink as if she needed the strength and then turned her attention back to Heero. "You didn't answer my question. Is it sexual? Is it love? Is it madness that makes you stay with this loose cannon? I could offer you a dozen high level positions right now. I know many officers here who would do the same."  
  
"Can't guys just be friends?" Duo interjected. "Why do people always think we have to be jumping in the sack with each other?"  
  
"Shut up, Maxwell," Noin snapped, not taking her eyes off of Heero. "Well?"  
  
"He makes me human," Heero replied simply.  
  
Noin was startled and then thoughtful. She said at last, eyes suddenly going elsewhere and blinking, "Zechs did that for me. " And then her face hardened. "And like me, you'll find out that you can't depend on him to keep doing that."  
  
Noin turned on her heel and strode away, boot heels clicking on the marble.  
  
Duo stared after her. "What a hard ass! She has a chip on her shoulder bigger than a colony."  
  
Heero didn't say anything. Duo looked at him and saw him staring after Noin with an _expression that he knew. He'd seen it enough times on his own face in the mirror when he had been thinking of Milliardo.  
  
"Oh, no!" Duo exclaimed in horror, "Not Miss Jack Booted Thug! You can't be serious? Heero!"  
  
"She is very...," Heero tried to search for the right words and failed.  
  
Duo rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, simmering. "She hates me." He pointed out.  
  
Heero blinked and frowned. "I don't think she hates you.... envies you maybe. I know how that feels."  
  
Duo felt a pain stab at his heart. He rubbed at it and then took hold of Heero's arm, leaning close and not caring who saw them. "Heero.... I told you. I know what you need in here," He touched Heero's heart. "Who ever gives that to you, it's okay with me. I'll even put up with her, if I have to."  
  
Heero shrugged and turned away from the sight of Noin. "Duo, she just interests me. She's not even being friendly."  
  
Duo snorted. "No? She just made you a whole bunch of military offers, Heero, and showed real concern for you wasting your career. For a soldier, that's a declaration of love."  
  
Heero scowled. "Duo..."  
  
Duo held up his hands in surrender. "All right, play hard to get, but I'm telling you, that steely glint in her eye was for you, buddy."  
  
Duo thought about calling it an evening and leaving the party. He was certain now, that Heero wasn't going to be interested in any of the frilly laced girls all around them. Heero's preference in woman was pretty clear and Noin seemed to fit that preference perfectly. As much as Duo cringed at the thought of having to deal with the woman, it wasn't about him. It was about Heero. If Heero fell in love with the Devil, himself, Duo knew that he would give him away at the wedding. Heero's happiness was that important to him.  
  
"Duo," Heero's voice took on the tone of 'soldier mode' and Duo found himself tensing and looking instantly about for trouble. "Mill," Heero told him and that was all it took to send Duo through the dancing crowd to where he saw his lover standing, surrounded by frowning men.  
  
Duo expected the worst, expected Milliardo to be confronting men who didn't think much of his sexuality, his choice in partners, or his socializing with 'street trash'. He wasn't prepared to hear one man say tauntingly, "So, what was it, Prince Peacecraft? The zero system made you crazed? You thought that you were doing the right thing? Or, you were just following orders? The Sanq kingdom is a shinning beacon of peace. You, sir, are a black cloud that hovers over it."  
  
"You clearly intended a slaughter of innocents, sir," another man threw at him. "What possible justification could you have for that course of action?"  
  
One man said from the sidelines, perhaps trying to bring some calm to the situation. "Here, sirs, he is a prince. Some decorum, please, at this gathering. This is not the time to hash over old war wounds."  
  
"Not so old," another man snarled. "They're still bleeding."  
  
"There aren't any princes any more," Yet another pointed out. "He is the same as any man and he should answer for his crimes the same as any man as well."  
  
Milliardo looked calm and poised, a glass of wine held in one hand. "I'm not on trial here. This is my sister, Relena's, party. If you don't have any respect for me, at least respect her."  
  
"We do," the first man snarled. "Which is why we would like to get you as far away from her as possible."  
  
Duo was suddenly at Milliardo's right elbow, glaring fiercely and hands balled into fists. Heero appeared on Milliardo's left, looking dangerous. The men frowned at this new development, calculating their chances.  
  
"A man doesn't need his whores to protect him," The first man sneered and made a move to push Duo away.  
  
Two steel hard hands gripped the man's arm as Milliardo and Heero reacted to protect Duo. The man whined in pain and collapsed to his knee, the double grip grinding down to bone.  
  
"You will apologize to my companions... now, " Milliardo commanded in a voice as cold as ice.  
  
"You are a disgrace," the man spat. "A killer... a murderer... a pervert who lives with two boys and shames the name of Peacecraft."  
  
"Boys?" Duo grunted. "Who the hell is a boy?"  He glared. "If you want to make trouble, I guarantee that we'll mop the floor with the lot of you and it doesn't matter what weapons you have on you. If you look around the room, you'll see everyone looking at you like you've gone crazy. We're highly trained Gundam pilots. They know what that means."  
  
The men did look and they did start to think. Suddenly, several of them melted into the crowd. Only two stayed and they didn't look very sure of their decision to do so.  
  
"Either you two are brave or very, very stupid," Duo told them. "Either way, I hope you have good medical insurance or a good undertaker."  
  
"Stop!" Noin strode up to them with some guards. She nodded at Milliardo and Heero. "Let him go!" They reluctantly released the man and he hugged an obviously injured arm. "Get up, sir," she ordered him. "I will have to ask you to leave the premises at once. You two sirs, as well." The men looked ready to argue, but she shook her head and they subsided. "My guards will escort you to make certain that there isn't any other disturbances."  
  
The men and the guards left. Duo grinned. "Thanks! Things were about to get messy."  
  
Noin glared at him and then said to a point slightly to the side of Milliardo's head, "Prince Peacecraft, I will have to ask that you and your 'entourage' leave the premises as well."  
  
Milliardo nodded, but Duo objected. "They started it!"  
  
Noin's glare was even fiercer. "It is Relena's policy that all 'disturbances' should be discouraged and removed."  
  
"She's right," Milliardo said. "We should go. I will give her my apologies."  
  
Noin gave him a slight bow of her head and Milliardo began to motion Duo and Heero to follow him. She shook her head sharply. "They will stay here, Prince Peacecraft. It is my job to keep the peace."  
  
Milliardo wasn't pleased by that. He paused, almost deciding to let his sister and her apology hang, but Duo shook his head. "Go ahead, Mill, we can take care of ourselves for a few minutes."  
  
Milliardo gave Heero a look and Heero nodded, knowing he was on guard. Duo made an exasperated sound at the both of them. Milliardo, reassured, left them to go to Relena.  
  
Noin was standing, hand on her weapon, as if they had all ceased to exist, eyes hard and nose flaring slightly as she breathed angrily. Duo wasn't fooled. She was a hair trigger, ready to respond to any negative moves on their part. Duo leaned to make a derisive comment to Heero and then saw Heero looking at Noin with an absorbed _expression, eyes glowing with a powerful emotion.   
  
Duo rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, "Oh, God! You've got it bad!"


	4. Dark Corners

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. With Kracken's permission, I began manually importing her works to the AO3 as part of an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017.
> 
> I am keeping myself listed as an author to be able to fix any mistakes I might have made when importing. Please note that I am NOT a co-author -- this is all Kracken's brilliance.

Duo was having a nightmare. His twitches woke Milliardo. He supposed it was to be expected, he thought as he slowly sat up in bed and turned on the small light on the side table. Duo had been very pensive after the party, lost in thoughts he didn't want to share. Having been escorted off Relena's property by security guards, and separated to keep them from making trouble, Milliardo had been allowed to rejoin Duo only when they reached their car. He had found his young lover tense and pale. Heero had been closest to Duo, ready to start a fight, no doubt, if anyone had dared to take Duo where he couldn't see him, but they had still been separated by the armed security detail. That small time alone had obviously rattled Duo. It had made Milliardo furious.  
  
"Your measures are excessive!" Milliardo had complained to Noin. "I will speak to my sister about this outrage!"  
  
Noin had looked angry, but had refused to meet his eyes, staring hard at one of her men as if he were doing something wrong. "I am following the security plan that she approved," she had informed him frostily. "I'm sorry if it does not meet with your approval, Prince Milliardo. I am only following orders."  
  
Heero had refused to leave Duo's side after that and Duo had leaned against him in the back seat of the car as Milliardo had driven them home. Milliardo had felt uneasy, even slightly jealous, but then he had stopped that dead in its tracks. Heero was the other half of Duo, he knew, his strength where he was weak. Duo had needed that strength, had needed the security of having Heero there. By the time they had reached their house, Duo had pulled himself back from whatever dark mood he had fallen into. He had smiled and joked, called the party a waste, and had made ridiculous, unflattering imitations of Noin. When it was time for bed, Duo had reassured Heero that none of it had been his fault, that Milliardo had been wonderful, and that he was perfectly all right. It had all been a lie.  
  
Duo began reaching for his back and his breath began to heave in and out of his lungs. He squirmed as if trying to escape. Milliardo whispered to him reassuringly, but was afraid to touch him. Waking a soldier was a bad idea at the best of times. Waking one in the middle of a nightmare was even worse. Duo frowned as if almost hearing him, but then he gasped as if in pain, his entire body shuddering convulsively.   
  
"Duo!" Milliardo called out more loudly.  
  
"Won't talk!" Duo muttered, almost unintelligible against his pillow.  
  
That utterance changed Milliardo's understanding of the situation completely.  
  
"G' head," Duo continued. "Had worse. Knew I was gonna die when I took the mission."  
  
Duo curled up suddenly, arms over his head as if he were defending himself from a severe beating.  
  
Milliardo was tempted to call Heero. Heero had given Duo security earlier. It was his voice that Duo knew best. It was possible that Duo would respond to it now and wake up. Milliardo began to get out of bed and do just that when Duo began a very low, keening cry, punctuated by choking sobs for breath.  
  
Milliardo's reacted instinctively. He pulled Duo into his arms, holding him as if he were a child; cradling him tenderly. Duo's head rested against his heart and Milliardo kissed that sweating, strained face. "Duo, please come back to me," Milliardo called firmly. "That's an order."  
  
Duo jerked, shuddered, and then his eyes blinked open, full of confusion. "Too damned early for orders, sir," he grumbled, but Milliardo could see him struggling to make sense out of what was happening. He was trying to step out of the nightmare and come completely awake. When he discovered Milliardo holding him, he looked embarrassed and groggily tried to pull away.  
  
"It's all right," Milliardo assured him. "Just be still."  
  
"Why you're holding me like this?" Duo wondered.  
  
"Nightmare," Milliardo replied as he brushed sweaty bangs back from Duo's forehead.  
  
Duo frowned, "Yours or mine?"  
  
"Yours," Milliardo replied.  
  
"Ah," Duo suddenly smiled. "This is nice. Heero usually just throws things at me until I wake up."  
  
Milliardo blinked. "I thought..."  
  
"That Heero's all cuddly and huggable?" Duo snickered. "Hell, no! Besides, messing with a soldier when he's out of it is taking your life in your hands. Tossing pillows and slapping me with clothes is a lot better than maybe having me knife him."  
  
Duo nuzzled against Milliardo and then asked hesitantly, "Did I... I didn't wig out on you or anything?"  
  
"No, you didn't 'wig out', " Milliardo assured him and held him closer. "I think you were dreaming about the war. You didn't do much except cry out in your sleep."  
  
Duo tensed. "Well, that's a lot more than they got out of me."  
  
Milliardo understood pride. A man could break down during torture, cry, become nothing but a broken mess, but that was only human. It didn't make the embarrassment any less, though. "You didn't tell them anything?"  
  
"Never!" Duo replied fiercely.  
  
"That's what is important, Duo," Milliardo told him.  
  
"I know... it's just..." Duo did break away from him then, stretching out on his back and plucking at the blankets uncertainly. "Sorry for being-"  
  
Milliardo slipped an arm around Duo's waist and pulled him against him, refusing to let Duo close himself off from him. He leaned down over Duo, looking deeply into his eyes. "Never," he stressed, "Never believe that I don't highly respect you, Duo Maxwell, or that I think you are weak for needing comfort. Everyone does. I do. I have my own bad dreams."  
  
Duo was suddenly turning and slipping both arms around Milliardo and Milliardo wondered how someone so small could be so strong and protective of other people. Duo met his eyes, all concern. "I'm always here for you, Mill, okay?"  
  
Mill leaned down and kissed him. "That's my line right now, love. You're the one that needs comfort, not me."  
  
Duo shrugged. "I'm okay." He grinned at Milliardo. "You're damned good at this comforting stuff, Mill. l don't even remember what it was all about now."  
  
Milliardo's hand traced a slow pattern over Duo's back to relax him. Bio skin was slightly different from real skin. It had a texture. Though the scars from Duo's attack were only visible faintly in certain light, sensitive fingers could feel what those scars spelled out. Milliardo wondered, suddenly, if there were any other scars that Duo had covered up. Remembering how Duo had flinched and reached for his back, his fingers itched to search for evidence of more violence. He refrained. Duo would know what he was doing, he was sure, and he didn't want to undo whatever comfort he had given the young man. Instead, he held Duo gently and said, "Rest, love."  
  
Duo snuggled and smiled and they were soon fast asleep again.  
  
Outside their door, Heero listened to the long silence and then smiled in relief. He ruffled Missy's ears and then walked back to his own room, confident that Duo was being well taken care of.   
  
+  
  
Noin sat as if she were at attention, face a study in control. Milliardo sighed inwardly, recognizing that angry glint in her eyes that betrayed her even on a vidscreen. He could guess at her thoughts with some accuracy, he felt. She was saying," I don't understand why you don't have a dozen officers on your staff that equal or surpass my abilities, Prince Milliardo."  
  
"There are few people that I trust implicitly to carry out my commands to the letter," he told her. "This operation begs for that kind of officer."  
  
"I am not a Preventer officer, your Highness," she replied. "It seems to me that morale would suffer, and that there would be resentment, if you brought in a person to command an operation from outside the Preventers."  
  
"It isn't necessary to call me, 'Your Highness', Lu, "Milliardo protested acidly. "Nor is it necessary to pretend that we don't know each other. "  
  
Noin looked at a point in space and said stiffly, "I would prefer that we keep our relationship strictly professional, sir."  
  
Milliardo scowled. "Well, then, if that is the way you wish it, then I expect you to follow orders, Noin. I order you to participate in this operation with the full backing of my sister, Relena, your employer."  
  
Noin barely contained her anger, but she fired off a stiff, "Yes, sir. Will that be all, sir?"  
  
"Yes," Milliardo replied and then sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I will contact you with the details tomorrow."  
  
"Yes, sir," Noin responded with acute correctness.  
  
Milliardo turned off the vid screen and rubbed at his forehead. A hand appeared and rubbed it for him, a calloused hand that was broad and male. Milliardo leaned back and closed his eyes. A kiss landed on his nose and he smiled.  
  
"That's better," Duo said with a chuckle. "You know, you two have really got to talk."  
  
Milliardo tried not to tense at the suggestion.  
  
"You did kind of lead her on during the war, you know," Duo told him. "I know having her loyalty was important, but you broke the woman's heart."  
  
"I know that I have an obligation to correct that wrong, but she has refused to discuss it in the past," Milliardo replied.  
  
Duo wrapped arms around him and rested his chin on Milliardo's shoulder. His breath tickled Milliardo's neck as he said, "We all did things we regret. I'm sure she has too. If we're going to make this work, we have to get her to-"  
  
"Get over her need to see both of us dead?" Milliardo cut in sourly.  
  
"Yeah, something like that," Duo replied, chuckling again.  
  
"Love," Milliardo said, suddenly serious. "I'm not very comfortable orchestrating this 'date' for Heero. It seems as if it is something personal and something he should accomplish on his own."  
  
"A date for someone like Heero and Noin is toting guns and kicking bad guy ass, trust me on that," Duo replied, "They won't even consider being together unless they know they can operate as soldiers together. It was the same way with me and Heero. He didn't even want to be friends until he saw that we could fight together effectively. " He grinned as he nuzzled Milliardo's neck and slipped a hand down over his broad chest. "It's a soldier equivalent of an icebreaker."  
  
"Still..." Milliardo grumbled, but couldn't help a flush as Duo's hand slipped into the collar of his knit shirt and found his erect nipple.  
  
Duo told him in a husky voice, "The operation is simple clean up and she is perfect for the job, so you don't have to worry that you're doing something wrong."  
  
Duo's fingers rubbed Milliardo's nipple. "Bedroom?" He asked plaintively.  
  
Milliardo smiled. "You're displaying restraint."  
  
"I'm learning," Duo replied with a smirk. "Now, reward me and come along, sir. I'd like to accomplish our own mission."  
  
Milliardo followed Duo, feeling a definite rise at the prospect, especially as he watched Duo walk down the hallway in front of him, his long braid swinging back and forth across his rounded ass.  
  
When they reached the bedroom, Duo flung off his oversized shirt and flopped onto his back on the wide bed. He stretched like a cat and the sunshine from a window played across his lithe form. Raising his legs, he shimmied out of underwear and jeans and tossed them aside to join his shirt. His skin was pale, but his erection was flushed red and needy. He stroked it broadly and then smiled at Milliardo.   
  
Milliardo closed and locked the bedroom door and then he slowly took off his own shirt, muscles rippling and broad chest flexing with the motion. Duo watched him appreciatively. "You know," he said, "You'll need to infiltrate the territory deeply."  
  
Milliardo quirked a pale eyebrow. "Sounds like a dangerous mission."  
  
"Not if you have the right equipment," Duo smirked and tossed him a tube of lube.  
  
Milliardo caught the tube deftly and replied, "I like a soldier who is always well prepared."   
  
Duo laughed, surprised by Milliardo's uncharacteristic boldness. "I wouldn't want to disappoint my commander."  
  
Milliardo unsnapped his jeans and let them slide down his hips onto the floor. He stepped out of them with the grace of a panther and stalked towards the bed, head tilted so that his blonde hair shaded his clear blue eyes, eyes that were full of passion for his lover.  
  
"I doubt that you could ever disappoint me," Milliardo told him in all seriousness and then he was flowing onto the bed and on top of Duo. He was careful of his smaller lover, pressing down, but not using his full weight. His knee moved between Duo's legs and tried to slide them apart. Duo resisted.  
  
Milliardo looked down into his lover's face and found a sultry smile there. "Am I straying from mission parameters?" Milliardo wondered.  
  
"Just want to make sure I'm following orders and that I'm not making my commanding officer take measures he doesn't want to," Duo replied and he did look slightly worried. "I know I can make a situation that my commander finds it hard to not engage in if he-"  
  
Milliardo put a finger to Duo's lips to quiet him and his eyes sparkled as he said, "There isn't any operation I'd rather be engaged in right now. Let's proceed."  
  
Duo grinned, "Yes, sir!"  
  
Duo's hands cupped Milliardo's ass and his legs slid apart, offering himself. He urged Milliardo by pulling his hips in a suggestive motion and trailing kisses along his lover's neck. He suddenly lapped with a broad stroke of his tongue right beneath Milliardo's chin. That sent Milliardo past the point of no return. He had to have Duo, right then.   
  
Milliardo moved Duo onto his side. Duo looked back over his shoulder as Milliardo spooned up behind him. When his coated erection slid between Duo's ass cheeks, Duo made a sound almost like a purr and his skin flushed warmly. Milliardo rubbed there and that purr turned into a groan. Bracing Duo with one arm around his slim waist, he very carefully entered him, pushing his erection in past tight flesh.  
  
Their motions were powerful and rhythmic after that, the quiet of the afternoon punctuated by their moans and pants of pleasure. The sun washed over their striving bodies like a blanket of silken light.  
  
It was hard for Milliardo to describe, even to himself, the pleasure he felt holding his smaller lover against him; the almost overwhelming surge of possessiveness that over came him that spoke of primal instincts to mount, mate, and claim his lover in the most basic of ways. He felt dominant, alpha, stronger than he had ever felt in his life, yet Duo was hardly submissive. He was strong as well, taking as much as Milliardo, hands and body possessing as he was possessed despite their positions, yet Milliardo still couldn't help feeling as if he were 'taking' his mate, even with that show of strength. Duo was his and, when he pumped hot seed into the striving body against him, he felt as if he were sealing that claim forever.  
  
Milliardo cried out as he spent his passion, but he was reaching for Duo's erection as well, meeting a hand already pumping frantically there, and joining with that rhythm to help his Duo reach his own climax. When Duo tossed wildly and shouted in release, Milliardo held onto him tightly, riding the force of that storm, still buried deeply in his lover and feeling the orgasm pulse against his organ.  
  
Milliardo and Duo finally relaxed, spent and exhausted, both of them panting. Milliardo kissed the nape of Duo's neck and then gathered him close in his arms. "Mission accomplished," he breathed.  
  
Duo laughed shakily. "And you should get a damned medal for it, lover."  
  
After a time of relaxing against each other, Duo tried to move. Milliardo restrained him. He had been quiet and thoughtful, but now Milliardo stirred himself and said, "I'm still enjoying myself."  
  
"We're being cemented together," Duo grumbled. "Clean up first, cuddle after."  
  
Milliardo sighed, but released his hold on Duo. Duo turned in his arms and their bodies finally separated. Duo swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood. He swayed and grinned at Milliardo. "Damn! My legs don't want to work, Mill!"  
  
"You're wounded, then, soldier," Milliardo told him as he rolled from the bed and stood up as well. "I had best administer first aid."  
  
Duo's grin turned sexy and he winked, "You can administer it in the shower."  
  
"Where else?" Milliardo returned and smiled as he began to follow Duo into the bathroom, his lover walking unsteadily on legs weak from their love making. Suddenly, Duo turned and jumped onto Milliardo, facing him with legs wrapping round Milliardo's waist.   
  
"Carry me?" Duo asked plaintively. "We don't have a stretcher."  
  
Milliardo smacked Duo on the bottom. "You are incorrigible! You are trying to start another mission and we may not have the time for it."  
  
"I'm not the one who wanted to stay in bed," Duo reminded him archly.  
  
"That was the exhaustion speaking," Milliardo told him, "Not the voice of reason."  
  
"Well," Duo tempered, "What's on the schedule for today? It is our day off."  
  
Milliardo considered it, both of his hands cupping Duo's ass now. His eagerness to forget reason rose up against Duo and Duo smirked like a tempting devil when he felt it.  
  
"Your choice," Duo said, sounding serious despite his expression. "You call the shots."  
  
Milliardo had a small voice inside that sniffed at decadence, that told him behaving so unseemly in the middle of the day was wrong, that even being in that position in front of a window that had the curtain drawn back was the height of perversion. He looked down into Duo's laughing, purple eyes and then he said roughly in rebellion, "It's my day off, dammit!" and he carried Duo into the bathroom.


	5. Basics

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. With Kracken's permission, I began manually importing her works to the AO3 as part of an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017.
> 
> I am keeping myself listed as an author to be able to fix any mistakes I might have made when importing. Please note that I am NOT a co-author -- this is all Kracken's brilliance.

"I'm fine, Heero." Duo told him in exasperation. "Mill took good care of me while you were gone. I don't have a scratch on me."  
  
Heero had Duo tight by the waist and was looking him over critically, keeping him from moving while he did his examination.   
  
Standing in the side equipment room of the hanger bay, Duo relented and stopped trying to get away and see past Heero. When Heero had satisfied himself that Duo was all right, he started to step away. Duo hooked an arm around his neck and pulled him down for a tight hug. Looking into Heero's face, almost nose to nose, he demanded, "Okay, now spill it! Mission report, Yuy!"  
  
"Mission successful, " Heero told him as he picked up his duffel bag. Covered in dirt and looking as if he hadn't slept in days, it was just like Heero to forego any complaints.  
  
Duo's thumb brushed over a large bruise next to Heero's left eye and he glared. "What was the shiner for?"  
  
Heero looked as if he were grinding his teeth together. "A misunderstanding," he finally replied.  
  
Duo looked incredulous. "I know you weren't a naughty boy, Heero, so, exactly what-"  
  
Noin came into the room, her duffel slung over one shoulder. She had a bruise under her right eye and a cut along one lip. She glared at Duo and then looked coldly at Heero. "We'll give our mission report together and then I want to go over the details of the mission with you. I think we could have improved our performance in certain areas."  
  
Heero gave her a tight nod of assent. Noin didn't wait for him. She turned on her heel, as if she were at stiff attention, and then walked away. Duo blinked after her and then looked hard at Heero.  
  
"Looks like things went well," Duo said.  
  
Heero frowned. "How did you come to that conclusion?" He looked angry suddenly and frustrated with himself. "Our simple recon mission was anything but that. The situation was far more serious than we were led to believe. We fought the entire time. She demanded that she have the lead position and wouldn't fall back when we drew fire. I was forced to restrain her when she tried to subdue a nest of armed men defending their position."  
  
"And that's when you got the black eye?" Duo wondered, looking amused, "and when she got bruised too?"  
  
Heero nodded hard once. Duo knew he wasn't going to get any more information than that without a long session of forcing his way through Heero's reserve. After work would be a better time, he thought.   
  
"Well, you better get along and go after Miss Noin," Duo told him, releasing Heero and giving him a push. "I don't think she'll appreciate how you're taking your time."  
  
Heero looked suddenly troubled and unsure of himself. "Duo, " he said hesitantly, "we did work very well together... despite the fight."  
  
"Awww!" Duo exclaimed in mock sorrow. "You mean you didn't miss having me as a partner?"  
  
Heero was instantly contrite. "She doesn't compare to you as a partner. I only meant-"  
  
Duo snorted affectionately. "I know what you meant, Heero. I was just teasing. It's like me and Mill. We love each other like you wouldn't believe, but he's not the one I'd rather have watching my back on a mission. They like to call you and me 'The Siamese twins' of the Preventer's, but you know there's truth in that. Nobody works together better than we do."  
  
Heero smiled and nodded, agreeing. "It was hard not having you there. I'm not willing to accept many missions without you, not unless they are absolutely necessary."  
  
"And that wasn't, " Duo replied with a wince, hearing a tone of criticism in Heero's voice. "Well, you know Heero, our intentions were noble. Me and Mill just wanted you two to have some time to talk, to get to know each other better without all of Noin's defenses going into high alert because me and Mill are around."  
  
Heero said, almost angrily, "I understand, but there will never be anything between us if she can't make peace with you and Milliardo."  
  
Duo grunted, not seeing much hope for that. He couldn't imagine Heero going off alone with Noin, though. He couldn't bear even thinking about living life without Heero's presence in it. He would have felt selfish and wrong for thinking that, if he didn't know that Heero felt exactly the same way. "We're a package deal," he told Heero. "All or nothing. We'll have to see how she deals with that."  
  
Duo gave Heero an affectionate push. "Go on and debrief before she gets her combat shorts in a bind."  
  
Heero nodded and left him. Duo pulled out his phone and dialed Milliardo's number. When Milliardo answered, he grinned and told him, "Mission successful. Those guys love each other so much, it's oozing out of their ears."  
  
Milliardo grunted. "Noin is in my waiting room. She doesn't appear to be 'oozing'," Milliardo replied skeptically.  
  
"Trust me, Mill," Duo told him cheerily.   
  
Milliardo's voice came back to him surprisingly warm and confident. "I always will, love."  
  
Duo put his phone away into his pocket, still smiling. He looked up, suddenly feeling watched, and saw someone he didn't know. It was a large man with a crewcut, looking at him with a frown. The man was stowing some gear into a locker. He slammed the door closed, spun the lock, and then sauntered off. Duo felt the hairs on his neck rise, street instincts alerting him that the guy was trouble.  
  
Duo eyed the hanger. Everyone was going about their business. He would never admit it to Heero or Milliardo, but he still had flashbacks to that time when he was attacked. He could play the tough guy all he wanted, but he couldn't help the chill of trepidation, or the almost paranoid way he reacted to seeing any crowd. He had seen, first hand, how men, who might never have contemplated a heinous crime on their own, could be goaded into it by a crowd of peers. Pack mentality, he thought grimly. When it found weakness and easy prey, it attacked.  
  
Duo throttled those kind of thoughts before they could go any further. He was in Preventer headquarters. These were his comrades. They fought together. They trusted one another. They were all keeping the peace. If anyone could be trusted, he thought, it was these people.  
  
Duo had an appointment to demonstrate at a self defense course. He checked his watch as he veered towards a bathroom, pleased that he had time for some lunch as well.  
  
Whistling tunelessly under his breath, Duo pushed through the door of the bathroom and went up to a urinal. Opening his pants, his thought wandered as he relieved himself  
  
The door swung open not a moment later and the man with the crew cut strode inside. In a very vulnerable position, Duo tried to finish, telling himself not to panic. The man was alone and, Duo reasoned with himself, the man may not like him, but he doubted the man would pick a fight in a Preventer restroom.  
  
Duo tried to make the man uncomfortable. It was always best to make a potential enemy the one on the defensive. "How ya doing?" Duo greeted, keeping his eyes on what he was doing.  
  
Two stalls squeaked. Duo started and craned his neck to look, not having seen anyone else enter. The man stepped up to the urinal beside him and ground out, "Not as well as you, it seems." Bringing Duo's attention fully back on him.  
  
Duo puzzled over that and then asked, "Yeah? How's that?"  
  
The man opened his pants and began urinating, but he was looking at Duo as he talked. "Letting a Prince bang your ass. That's a big step up. What's he give you? A car? A house? Money? Or is he THAT good at ramming you?"  
  
Duo felt his face go hot. "Do I know you?" He managed sarcastically. "Cuz, I have to tell you, not even my friends get to say shit like that to my face."  
  
The man grunted. "I don't think it's your face they see the most of," he replied in disgust.  
  
Duo zipped up his pants and stepped back, furious. "I don't know who the hell you think you are, buddy, but it's obvious to me you don't have a clue who I am!"  
  
The man shrugged as if Duo's threats were funny to him, a smirk on his face. "I'm new on staff, but everyone's talking about you and Prince Pedophile. I'm not much for rumors, but I saw you talking to him on your phone." He shook his head, sadly. "I'll have some juicy gossip to tell when I return home to Sanq. Milliardo Peacecraft, molesting young boys." He zipped up his pants and turned to Duo. His eyes swept Duo up and down arrogantly. "Common boys at that."  
  
"I'm not a freakin' boy!" Duo shouted at him, fists clenching. "There's only a couple of years difference between me and Mill and... Shit! It's none of your business, guy! If you're smart, you'll shut the hell up right now and take your ass out of my sight!"  
  
"That Heero Yuy, too," the man went on, as if Duo hadn't said anything. "Is he banging you both?"  
  
It was so much like the taunt at the party, that Duo froze and his mind managed to switch gears. He was still seething, but he tightly controlled his anger and said, "Why do I get the feeling that you're not Preventer personnel?"  
  
The man smiled coldly as he moved to the sink and washed his hands slowly and methodically. Duo approached him, demanding, "You might as well admit it right now, because I'll-"  
  
Duo heard a sound behind him, the creak of a stall door, just as the man in front of him suddenly pressed lewdly up against him, pinning him to a sink basin. He jammed hands down Duo's pants and kissed him deeply. The shock of that gave another man the time to hook hands into the waistband of Duo's pants and nearly yank them off of Duo's hips.  
  
It was only a few heartbeats before Duo reacted, driving his knee up towards the first man's crotch while his elbow was arcing sideways to take the second man in the gut. That man sat down on the tile, hugging his stomach and trying to get air back into his lungs. The first man had avoided the knee, though, and he was motioning to Duo to get his attention, even as he backed swiftly towards the door of the bathroom.  
  
There was a third man sauntering out of another stall and waggling a digital camera at Duo. "Now, Now!" he exclaimed. "This is feeding live to every vid news station in the Earth Sphere. Wouldn't want them to see any Preventer brutality. Bad enough they got an eye full of Duo Maxwell sucking lips with Prince Pedophile this morning and now, having a threesome in the restroom. Seems our ex Gundam pilot is a bit of a whore, right guys? How embarrassing for the Peacecraft's."  
  
Duo felt a powerful hot and cold feeling run up and down his body. His hands opened, closed, and then opened again. He let out a very slow breath and then he grinned. The men stared at him, startled. The man with the camera joined the first man at the door, watching Duo warily. "Go on," Duo told them in a tone that sounded strangely happy. "I'll take care of all of you... eventually."  
  
The men bolted almost in unison, the door to the bathroom hitting the wall hard as they shoved through it. Duo glared after them and then he looked down at the man they had left behind.   
  
"Seems you don't have a camera to protect you any longer," Duo said icily. "Nice friends you've got there."  
  
That man looked terrified, still unable to catch his breath enough to escape. Without warning, Duo kicked him hard, making the man collapse sideways onto the floor. He wisely stayed down as Duo calmly pulled out his cell phone and dialed.  
  
"Two men in the hanger are probably running for an exit right now. See them on the security feed?" Duo asked the person on the end of the line. "Yes? Good. Lock this place down and take them into custody for impersonating Preventer personnel. Do me a favor and make it real uncomfortable for them."  
  
Duo pocketed his phone, pulled his pants back into order, and then looked down at the frightened man, "You messed with the wrong people, buddy." He thought of the news stations. If the men were telling the truth, then the scene from this morning, and the scene that had just played out, was now showing on every station. The brother of Relena Peacecraft scandalized. Relena herself forced to explain. Duo's integrity now in question. The Preventer's embarrassed. "Not going to work," Duo growled and gave the man a hard nudge in the ribs. "You're not dealing with just anybody. We don't go down easy. I'll find out who you and your friends are. Maybe people won't think nice things about us, but you're not going to enjoy it. You're not going to get any power out of it and I'm going to make sure of that."  
  
Duo put the man into the hands of other Preventer agents and then he braced himself for the worst and walked to Milliardo's office. Noin and Heero were standing outside with the secretary, looking confused. The secretary was wringing her hands.   
  
"Duo?" Heero asked in concern, seeing Duo's stern _expression.  
  
"He knows?" Duo asked the secretary as he gently touched Heero's arm to reassure him. The secretary nodded, knowing what he was talking about.  
  
"It started playing several minutes ago on almost every vid station," she told him.  
  
"Please, Heero," Duo pleaded, ignoring Noin's almost accusatory glare. "Wait here. I... I should talk to him alone... explain."  
  
"Duo, what's going on?" Heero demanded.  
  
"I'll come out and explain to you too in a few minutes," Duo promised. "Just, just don't watch the news until I do, okay?"  
  
Heero nodded and Duo released him. Taking a deep breath, Duo walked into Milliardo's office. His vid screen was on and a news woman was talking at low volume. A picture of Duo, sandwiched between two men who were obviously molesting him, was positioned on the screen on her right. A picture of Duo and Milliardo kissing, in what they thought had been a private moment, was on her left.  
  
Milliardo looked furious, his jaw clenched and his hands fisted before him on his desk. Duo felt a pang in his heart. His _expression went sad, but then he did the thing that Milliardo had always marveled at; Duo turned light hearted all in an instant.  
  
Duo smiled and said, "At least they got my best side."  
  
Milliardo thought that he understood his lover, then. It was Duo's way of saying that, since circumstances couldn't be changed, he was ready to take what was coming and ready to survive and move past it. The brittleness at the corners of his eyes, told Milliardo that he wouldn't survive entirely whole, though.  
  
"Agent Maxwell," Milliardo snapped. "Would you please explain to me how those two men were able to attack you like that? Must I schedule you for retraining in your own self defense classes?"  
  
Duo grin grew wider. "I'm glad you realized that they weren't my type. I prefer leggy blondes, you know?"  
  
"I know," Milliardo replied softly. "I told you that I will always trust you, love. Now," he asked, sterner, "Answer my question."  
  
Duo looked at the vid screen, grin fading and his _expression turning pensive. "I guess... I guess I decided to get my head out of the war, and my past, at the wrong time. I thought the restroom of Preventer Headquarters was a pretty safe place to be." He nodded to the men. "I have them in custody. I'm sure they didn't realize that the restroom has a security feed just like the rest of the building."  
  
Milliardo nodded. "I'm pleased that you decided to let them live and let other Preventer agents handle the capture. They'll make certain that the men remain in one piece. We will be able to charge them with assault and impersonating Preventers. We can also charge them with trespassing. We will be able to clear your name and we can also save the Preventer's some embarrassment."  
  
Duo nodded to the other picture. "Nothing we can do about that, though. Cat's out of the bag. If people didn't know before. They do now."  
  
Milliardo frowned. "I don't care who knows, Duo."  
  
"You'll care about the angle they're taking on it," Duo replied. "They're going to be calling you 'Prince Pedophile'."  
  
Milliardo started and he felt physically ill. He regained his composure with difficulty. "You have legal status. You are not a minor."  
  
"Legally," Duo sighed. "But pictures are stronger than words, Mill. I don't look as old as I am..."  
  
Milliardo's jaw worked. "We will deal with that later, Duo. First, we need to find out who these men are. Perhaps if we can root out who's behind this campaign to discredit me, we can cause the rest to fade away."  
  
Duo reached out suddenly, placed a hand behind Milliardo's head, and then pulled him in close for a kiss. Ending the kiss, he looked deeply into Milliardo's eyes. "That's to get the taste of that bastard off me," he said and then kissed Milliardo even deeper. Breaking the kiss yet again, he said intensely, "That's for trusting me." He kissed even deeper.   
  
"And that one?" Milliardo asked breathlessly when he was allowed too.  
  
"That one was for you being you," Duo replied and laughed in pleasure when Milliardo pulled him into his tight embrace.


	6. Lion's Den

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. With Kracken's permission, I began manually importing her works to the AO3 as part of an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017.
> 
> I am keeping myself listed as an author to be able to fix any mistakes I might have made when importing. Please note that I am NOT a co-author -- this is all Kracken's brilliance.

In the living room of their home, Heero was already pale, sitting stiffly on the couch with his hands locked in his lap. His blue eyes were following Duo and Milliardo anxiously as the two moved breakables out of the way. Milliardo then made hot tea and Duo took up a comforter and sat down next to Heero with it in his lap. He fluffed a pillow at the small of his back and leaned into the corner of the couch.  
  
When Milliardo returned with the tea and put the tea service aside on a table out of reach, Heero blurted, "Tell me what happened!"  
  
Milliardo and Duo exchanged a glance. "Should I...?" Milliardo began and then motioned with his chin towards another room.  
  
"No, " Duo told him. "It'll be okay."  
  
Milliardo sat down gingerly in a nearby chair, barely knowing what to expect. He watched Duo swallow hard and take Heero's hand in his, squeezing hard. It was clear that he was choosing his words carefully.  
  
"Heero," Duo began. "No one hurt me, okay? First get that through your head. I wasn't hurt and they weren't going to hurt me." Heero's hand squeezed hard in return and his eyes searched Duo's.  
  
"Heero, mind easing up?" Duo begged, in pain. Heero tried, but without much success. Duo gritted his teeth and continued, "These guys wanted to smear Milliardo. They took a picture of us kissing this morning and sent it to the vid news stations." He watched Heero's face, allowing him to digest that. When Heero nodded, but then looked anxious, knowing that there was more, Duo said cautiously, "That wasn't enough for them though. They decided they needed some shots... to make it look like I was some sort of L2 whore. They didn't hurt me, Heero, they just embarrassed the hell out of me and stuck their hands where they didn't belong." Memory made Duo tense up, despite himself, and show a loathing that he couldn't conceal completely. "They had someone take shots of it," he went on angrily, "They put that on the vid news too."  
  
"They are in custody," Milliardo quickly reassured Heero. "They will be prosecuted."  
  
Heero was very quiet. Milliardo and Duo watched him closely. Finally, Heero asked, "How did they... Where did this happen?"  
  
Duo tried to hedge. "They surprised me and that shouldn't have happened. I feel like an idiot. What's important, though, is that I'm not hurt, well, except my pride, I guess. We'll have to deal with the fallout from the pictures. I think Milliardo is going to get the worst of it, though. He thinks he's going to have to release a statement to the effect that there has been a big..." He looked to Milliardo for help. "What did you call it?"  
  
"Gross mis-characterization of events," Milliardo supplied.  
  
"Yeah, that," Duo said. "So, everything is all right, okay, Heero? We might get some nasty things said about us, but it's not like we haven't had that happen before."  
  
"These men...," Heero grated out and it was clear that he had decided to be angry. "They... put their hands on you?"  
  
"Groped me, but nothing-" Duo began, but Heero was starting to stand up. Duo tackled him, wrapping arms around his waist and taking him down, full length, on the couch. Duo then wrapped himself so tightly around Heero that Heero couldn't pry him off without hurting him.  
  
Milliardo stood, ready to offer help. "Duo?" he asked anxiously.  
  
"It's all right!" Duo shouted and then glared at Heero. "Look! I know you're mad. So am I! Those guys are in custody, though! If you go down there to take a couple of inches off their asses, you're only going to end up in lock up yourself or shot dead. I'd rather have you here with me, free and alive!"   
  
Heero began to breathe hard, almost as if he were hyperventilating. Duo softened instantly and his strangle hold on Heero turned into a comforting embrace. Milliardo watched Heero all but climb into that embrace, face buried against Duo's chest. They ended up sideways and Milliardo was almost sure that Heero was crying.  
  
Milliardo felt very uncomfortable. He wanted to leave and let Heero have his dignity, but he saw that for what it was in the next instant. He was avoiding dealing with the man that had come, part and parcel, with his lover, and avoiding what that really meant. Heero loved Duo. They were two sides of the same coin, one not complete without the other. Milliardo knew that Heero's reaction to the threat to Duo stemmed from that all encompassing friendship, but there was also another reason that threats to Duo nearly made Heero catatonic with fear. Heero was terrified of being parted from Duo. Any threat was a chance to be left alone. Without a war and a mission, only Duo gave Heero a reason to live and the skills necessary to help him live a somewhat normal life.  
  
Friendship and fear made a powerful combination. Milliardo knew that it gave Heero a great capacity to do violence. Duo knew it too. He seemed to know all the right things to do to keep Heero from reaching that critical point and yet, there was room for more. Milliardo suddenly knew that he could offer that extra help. All that he had to do, was to put aside his discomfort and to silence a voice that told him that men did not do such things for each other, not men who weren't lovers anyway. Heero was frightened. He needed to ground himself. Heero needed to know that Duo was safe and that he was safe from being left alone and from losing his best friend.  
  
Milliardo picked up the comforter and sat down, uncertain whether his offer would be rejected or not. He was a tall, broad man, not much older than the two holding each other at the end of the couch, but seemingly more adult because of his size and his calm demeanor. He used that to advantage when he reached out and pulled at the two. They were both startled.  
  
Duo smiled like the sun rising, understanding, and, with his help, Milliardo was able to coax Heero close to him. Heero was hesitant, stiff, and trying to hide that he was upset, turning his anguished face away, but Duo was persistent, clinging to Heero and pulling until they were both in Milliardo's arms. Milliardo stretched out his long body then and draped the comforter over all of them. He held them, his lover and his lover's best friend, and tried not to let his thoughts wander towards embarrassment.  
  
"You have us both, Heero," Milliardo told him. "It's all right. Together, you and I will make sure that Duo is safe and Duo and I will make sure that you will never be alone. Those men will be brought to justice. They won't be allowed to get away with their crime. You don't have to seek your own justice." His hand caressed Heero's dark, unruly hair and Heero shivered. Duo held him tighter.  
  
"It's okay, buddy," Duo told him. "See, I told you Mill cared about both of us. You've got me, Mill, Missy, and I know you're going to have that pesky Noin pretty soon too. So, take it easy." Duo nuzzled Milliardo and smiled at him. He mouthed, "Thanks." and that made any discomfort, mentally and physically, worthwhile.  
  
Milliardo let his mind drift as the two young men rested against him. He tried not to dwell on the sight they must have made, deciding instead to go over the speech he intended to release publicly. When his thoughts came back, he found both Duo and Heero asleep. He shifted uncomfortably. Neither of them stirred. Milliardo resigned himself, tucked the pillow under his head, and drifted off to sleep himself.  
  
"Better?" Duo's voice whispered and then, "Stop being stupid, Heero. He cares. I care. Get over it."  
  
A weight lifted off of Milliardo and there was a heavy sigh. Another body took the opportunity to sprawl completely over Milliardo's, taking it's place.  
  
"I'll make tea and something to eat," Heero said and his voice sounded small and weary, a mental weariness more than a physical one.  
  
"Heero," Duo said firmly. "It's all right, really."  
  
Heero grunted and didn't reply. Milliardo could hear his feet padding away across the floor.  
  
Something soft and hairy brushed across Milliardo's nose. "I know you're awake, faker," Duo accused with a chuckle.  
  
Milliardo opened his ice blue eyes and smiled ruefully. "I was attempting to save face."  
  
"Yours or Heero's?" Duo wondered as he stopped teasing Milliardo with the end of his braid.  
  
Milliardo paused and then decided to tell the truth. "Both."  
  
"Ah," Duo looked sympathetic. "Thank you for understanding and helping with Heero anyway. I think this is the easiest time I've had bringing him out of an 'episode'."  
  
Milliardo brushed the bangs from Duo's eyes tenderly. "He's part of our 'family'. A man needs roots in his life, people who care, a place to call home. Both you and Heero haven't had that."  
  
"Except during the war," Duo agreed. "I was kind of a loose cannon, but Heero needed to be told what to do, given a mission, and told that his life meant something. Not having that, not having anywhere to go to once he didn't have that, was devastating for Heero. If I hadn't figured it out, that he needed me, needed my help, he probably would have put a gun to his head and ended it." Duo looked pensive. "I can't lie and tell you that I didn't need him too. He was all the 'family' I had."  
  
"Duo," Milliardo stroked Duo along his cheek. "You think that I mind this situation. Stop apologizing for it. You know that I was raised a certain way. It will take time for me to become comfortable, but that doesn't mean that I am unwilling. Do you understand?"  
  
Duo frowned and ducked his head. "Why should you be willing?" he wondered softly. "By all rights, you should have walked away when I told you that Heero came with me. Knowing that we used to be lovers, knowing what we went through, how we depend on each other... Why accept any of it?"  
  
Milliardo slid fingers behind Duo's neck and pulled him in close. "I love you. That's reason enough."  
  
Duo smiled. "I think you took too many hits to the head during the war."  
  
Milliardo frowned, very serious. "Don't doubt me."  
  
Duo became serious as well. "I won't, but... I guess I'm not used to guys as incredible as you."  
  
"Now, it's flattery," Milliardo chuckled. "I'm beginning to think that you are trying to get something out of me."  
  
Duo smirked. "Oh, I will get something out of you... later."  
  
Milliardo felt a blush that was half desire at Duo's innuendo. "My lover can be a bit crude," he said uncomfortably.  
  
Duo looked worried. "Is that bad? I just say what I'm feeling. I thought you'd want to know I'm planning on-"  
  
Milliardo put a finger against Duo's lips to quiet him. "You don't have to say anything. " Milliardo told him and he lifted his pelvis against Duo's. Duo felt his obvious erection.   
  
Duo went wide eyed and then he chuckled. "Do that again and we may never get off of this couch."  
  
"Sometimes, words don't need to pass between us," Milliardo explained. "I know what you want. It's what I desire as well."  
  
Duo smirked, "Well, I guess body language is pretty easy to read in a guy." He leaned very close to Milliardo's ear. "Sometimes, though, saying it can be pretty exciting. You're all about teaching me to be proper and not embarrass you, but... sometimes..." He licked the curve of Milliardo's ear, "Letting loose with some choice words at the right time can get things really going." He breathed into Milliardo's ear, "I wanna fuck you until you moan and yell out for me. I wanna push it into your hot, tight, little behind and ride you . I wanna grab your big, hard cock and pump you until you shoot over both of us. I wanna-"  
  
"Duo, Mill?" Heero called from the kitchen. "Should I make rice with the meal?"  
  
Milliardo's eyes were as wide as saucers, staring into his lover's eyes and knowing that Duo was right. His lover's words had set him on fire. There was something to be said for some... coarseness... yet... He gave Duo a stern look and sat up, letting Duo slide down his body to rest in his lap.  
  
Duo sighed and sat up as well. "I know, I know," Duo lamented, "Not where just anyone can hear it. I'm okay with that." He added though, "But you have to come back the other way and meet me halfway, Mill. There are some things I like and I know, if you relax some of that prudish, aristocratic-"  
  
"Later," Milliardo told him, kissed him to stop his words, and stood up. He adjusted his too tight pants and Duo snickered at him. "Later," Milliardo repeated firmly, but then, "You're right though, that was.... exciting."  
  
Duo looked surprised at the admission, but then happy, and Milliardo knew that Duo was going to take full advantage of that admission later on. Milliardo pulled nervously at the collar of his shirt , but his tightening pants, as his excitement became even stronger, wouldn't allow him to fool himself into thinking that he wasn't looking forward to it as well.  
  
"Heero's embarrassed, you know?" Duo told him, changing the subject abruptly. He stood as well and jerked a thumb at the kitchen. "He's going to give you the cold soldier guy attitude now."  
  
"I will admit to being uncomfortable as well," Milliardo replied, straightening his shirt with stiff motions.  
  
Duo stood behind Milliardo and gathered up his lover's long, blonde hair. He made a loose braid of it as he said, "We'll be okay." It was more of a question.  
  
Milliardo thought about Duo, about his life, about the things that he had survived as a matter of course in his short life. What he had now must have seemed like a dream come true; a home and a family, stability, and a chance to leave behind a life that had been a harsh one of simple survival. He wondered what Duo was thinking at that moment, whether he had suddenly doubted. He turned and faced Duo. Duo was frowning, letting Milliardo's hair slip from his fingers.  
  
"You are referring to something other than Heero, aren't you?" Milliardo guessed.  
  
Duo's mouth quirked in an attempt at a smile. "Well, we are going to go out in public at some point and they are going to say..."  
  
Milliardo traced a finger along Duo's jaw. "We've already talked about this. You are not a passing fancy of mine, Duo Maxwell." He touched his chest. "You're in here, in my soul. It's true that things might get ugly, that words might be said, accusations made, our reputations tarnished, but none of that will change what you are to me. Nothing will make me leave you, or Heero, for that matter. Do you understand?"  
  
Duo nodded, and then he firmed his shoulders. "Don't let them see that they're getting to you. Don't get excited. Don't talk back to them. Isn't that what you told me?"  
  
Milliardo nodded. "They want a reaction. A bad one. They want picture to go along with their stories of a decadent Peacecraft and his lovers. They can make up all they want, but if you don't add fuel to the story, it quickly dies."  
  
Duo suddenly smirked. "I guess our 'nap' would have made big news if someone had been able to snap a shot of it."  
  
Milliardo looked nervously towards the curtains. They were drawn. Duo laughed at him. Milliardo frowned self deprecatingly and then sighed and smiled back. "We will have to be careful not to give them the opportunity, but-"  
  
"We won't live in fear either, " Duo completed for him and Milliardo nodded. Duo motioned with his chin towards the kitchen, "Okay, so, then, maybe you should go break the ice with Heero? It's getting damned chilly in here."  
  
Milliardo felt instantly uncomfortable again. He tried to stop it and relax, but Duo had already seen it. Duo ran a hand up and down Milliardo's arm as if trying to help settle his nerves and then he gave Milliardo a push towards the kitchen.  
  
"Go on," Duo urged.  
  
Milliardo sighed, nodded, and left Duo to go into the kitchen. There he found Heero standing at the stove with a spatula in one hand and a fierce look on his face. Missy was curled up in a corner and her tail thumped the floor happily at Milliardo's entrance.   
  
"I think the food surrenders," Milliardo joked lightly.  
  
Heero looked at him, blushed, and then lowered his eyes as he stirred the bacon in the skillet. His _expression told Milliardo that he wasn't feeling very good about himself just then.  
  
Milliardo approached cautiously, not sure how to proceed. Finally, after several uncomfortable moments, he told himself to stop being a fool. He reached out and gently put a hand on Heero's shoulder.   
  
Heero started and turned, alarmed. His eyes were uncharacteristically large and unsure. For the first time, Milliardo saw what lay at the core of the young man before him. Heero might have been the best soldier a man could hope to be, but when it came to day to day life, and being something besides a soldier, Heero was a child, a clueless child.  
  
At last Milliardo saw what Duo had always seen, and he understood, now, why Duo had always been dominant, take charge, and protective of Heero. Heero was lost and afraid. He needed anchors in his life so very badly. He needed love and kindness from Milliardo and Duo, but at the moment, it was painfully obvious that he needed something even more important, to know that he hadn't lost Milliardo's respect.  
  
Milliardo gathered Heero into his embrace all at once and held the man tightly against his chest. He whispered against Heero's unruly hair, "You have come to mean a great deal to me, Heero Yuy. You have become my family, a welcome part of my life with Duo. I respect you and I admire you. After living with you, after seeing what kind of a man you truly are, I think I am beginning to love you too."  
  
Milliardo could feel Heero's blush hot against him. The man was rigid in his embrace. Milliardo refused to be embarrassed. It was important to show Heero that he did have a place with them and that Milliardo did care for him. He couldn't allow his rigid upbringing to keep him from showing his lover's best friend, his good friend, he amended to himself, how much he cared for and appreciated him.  
  
Heero suddenly relaxed enough to hug Milliardo back. It was bone crushing and Milliardo bit his lip, riding it out until Heero released him abruptly. When Heero turned back to his cooking, Milliardo almost decided to not allow him to retreat, but then he felt a hand on his elbow and he looked back and saw Duo there, smiling and shaking his head.   
  
Milliardo followed Duo out of the kitchen and into the dinning room . Heero had laid out the silverware on the table there already. Duo brushed them out of the way and sat down with Milliardo, reaching out and taking both of Milliardo's hands in his.  
  
"The last person who grabbed Heero like that, who wasn't me, ended up in the hospital," Duo told Milliardo. Milliardo, remembering Heero's strength, felt a knot of trepidation settle in his gut. "He trusts you," Duo continued, "I hope you understand what a rare and wonderful thing that is?"  
  
Milliardo nodded and then said softly, "I see now. I know why you do the things you do for him."  
  
Duo looked puzzled.  
  
"He needs so badly," Milliardo explained.  
  
Duo grinned, understanding. "Like a big puppy, isn't he?" he replied with a chuckle, but then turned serious after a moment. "They kicked him to the curb after the war and didn't care what happened to him. How can anyone look into his eyes and do something like that? I couldn't. I never even considered it." He added thoughtfully, "You've got that look in your eyes too, you know?"  
  
It was Milliardo's turn to be confused.  
  
"You were lonely and you were hurting," Duo explained. He smiled, joking, "I thought, 'What's another stray?' and I took you home with me."  
  
Milliardo quirked an eyebrow. "Is that how it happened? It was only sympathy you felt for me then?"  
  
Duo reached out and snagged a finger into Milliardo's collar. He used that grip to pull Milliardo towards him. Almost nose to nose, he said, "At first, maybe, but, that whole, 'You are in my soul' thing? It didn't take very long for me to feel that way about you too."  
  
"So, 'Master'?" Milliardo replied with a smile that was almost wicked, "Are you very affectionate towards your pets?"  
  
Duo smirked. "I think you know the answer to that." And he kissed Milliardo deeply.


	7. Lightning Count

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. With Kracken's permission, I began manually importing her works to the AO3 as part of an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017.
> 
> I am keeping myself listed as an author to be able to fix any mistakes I might have made when importing. Please note that I am NOT a co-author -- this is all Kracken's brilliance.

"Ready?" Milliardo asked as he straightened his Preventer coat.  
  
Duo and Heero both nodded, their hard 'mission faces' making them look much older.  
  
"Let's move out," Milliardo ordered and they all climbed out of the car as one. The press of reporters gave back only slightly.  
  
"Prince Peacecraft!" A reporter yelled over the loud cacophony, "We've all seen the vids! Is it true that Duo Maxwell is your lover? If so, then will you be splitting in light of his documented infidelity?"  
  
Another shouted, "How do you respond to allegations that you are breaking laws by committing sexual acts with minors?"  
  
Yet another, "Some say that you have compromised your sister, Relena Peacecraft, with your indiscretions. How do you respond to those allegations?"  
  
Milliardo coolly replied, "I will be releasing a statement soon. There will be no comment before then. Good day."  
  
Duo and Heero were suddenly there to run defense as Milliardo pushed his way through the crowd. Their reputations alone made men and women fall back from them, but the questions didn't stop.  
  
"Duo Maxwell," one shouted, "Is it true that you were a prostitute on L2 before joining the Preventers and do you think this led to your problem with promiscuity?"  
  
Duo looked stunned and then he scowled, but he didn't respond, only shoved that person away extra hard.  
  
"Duo Maxwell," another shouted, "You were once an inmate at a correctional facility for military personnel. Some say that there should be an investigation as to why you were allowed to become a Preventer agent with such a past record. Any comments on that or the allegations that Prince Peacecraft secured your position for sexual favors?"  
  
Duo went white. He almost opened his mouth to retort, but then he swallowed hard and continued walking.  
  
Heero was not immune to questioning either, despite his stone like _expression and his killer's eyes.  
  
"Heero Yuy! Is it true that you were also having relations with Duo Maxwell?"  
  
"Heero Yuy, how do you respond to people who think that Duo Maxwell and yourself should be taken into custody and given legal guardians?"  
  
"Mr. Yuy, will you confirm that you are having a relationship with both Milliardo Peacecraft and Duo Maxwell?"  
  
They were moving through security then and going into the Preventer building, leaving their pursuers behind. Duo let out a shuddering breath. "I think my bones were picked clean back there."  
  
"If that one man had touched you, I would have broken his arm," Heero seethed.  
  
Duo shivered. "He asked about the detention center. That worries me more than the rest of it."  
  
"Why?" Heero wondered as they entered the elevator.  
  
"Because they may try to discredit me even more by insinuating that I have an underage criminal for a lover," Milliardo replied tersely.   
  
Duo laughed, but it was harsh. "That's so much worse than all of us being killers hundreds of times over. I think they're going for the street trash angle. Milliardo's slumming in bed."  
  
Milliardo reached out and gently ran a hand along Duo's arm in comfort. "You did very well out there. Both of you. Remember, they want you to react. They want to make you angry and afraid and they want it all on video."  
  
Heero was still glaring angrily. "We were both given legal status after the war. They can't rescind that."  
  
Duo ran a hand through his hair and seemed to see old, unpleasant memories. "Take it from me, Heero. They can do anything they want. I wouldn't worry about it, though. They'd be stupid not to realize that we wouldn't go meekly into a situation like that."  
  
Milliardo frowned, a thought occurring to him that maybe it would benefit someone to have two ex Gundam pilots appear to go rogue against government orders. He didn't voice his concern though. Heero and Duo had done very well. He didn't want to compromise that by adding to their stress level. "Forget about them," he said, instead, "and let's get to work."   
  
+  
  
It was a relief to leave all his troubles outside his office door. Sinking down into his leather chair and booting his computer, Milliardo cherished the silence.   
  
Milliardo's vid phone beeped. He checked the number and sighed. Only four people had direct access to his vidphone. He lived with two of them, one was Sally Po, and the last was his sister, Relena.  
  
Milliardo had a brief urge to pretend that he wasn't available, but then he touched the accept button, knowing that it was inevitable that he would have to talk to the woman sooner or later.  
  
"Relena," Milliardo greeted her with the false pleasantness of a courtier.  
  
Relena wore her hair up in an intricate weave at the top of her head and she was wearing a white, silk shirt that clung like a second skin. A sky blue scarf was draped around her slim throat and it was bound to one shoulder by her badge of office. She looked cool and official, but her frown was more personal.  
  
"Have you prepared an official statement?" Relena asked.  
  
Milliardo quirked a pale eyebrow at her. "Won't you ask, first, whether the rumors are true or not, sister?"  
  
Relena looked very uncomfortable. "You always did have a fascination for the Gundam pilots, Heero Yuy especially. "  
  
Milliardo didn't interject, 'and so did you'. Relena wasn't playing 'concerned sister' she was playing scandalized official. "Heero Yuy is a friend of Duo Maxwell. He is staying at my home in that capacity."  
  
Relena suddenly looked prime. "Milliardo, I've had both pilots researched thoroughly. What you do in privacy is you own affair, but when it is with two such individuals and certain rumors are put forth, I don't have any choice but to remind you of our positions and how delicate and very important they are."  
  
Milliardo felt a headache take hold and he rubbed at his temple. "I am an honorable man, Relena. It is true that Duo Maxwell is my lover. The rumors that Heero Yuy is as well are false. The rumors that Duo Maxwell, coerced photos not withstanding, is carrying on with other men, is false as well. Our relationship is loving, solid, and likely to be lifelong. It is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I will make a statement to that effect. I will not deny it. I will not try and cover it up. I will denounce the people who have been seeking to smear my reputation."  
  
"And mine," Relena added. "I don't think that I have to point out that you are being attacked to get to me?"  
  
"No, but I won't stop living my life to save you embarrassment, sister," Milliardo grunted. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I have work...."  
  
"I want Noin returned to me," Relena told him as if it were a different subject. Milliardo knew better.  
  
Milliardo couldn't help snapping. "Are you afraid that I will be accused of having a 'foursome'?"  
  
"Foursome?" Relena clearly didn't understand the inference at first, but then she blushed deeply. "She is my chief of security. She is my personal guard. I don't wish her to be-"  
  
"Damned by association?" Milliardo felt angry now and he couldn't keep it from his voice. "I thought that we had grown beyond persecuting people for their sexual preferences? You should be publicly condemning these people, not reinforcing their accusations and hatred."  
  
Relena looked incensed. "How dare you accuse me of such thinking!" She attempted to calm herself, taking a deep breath and then letting it out. She said more softly, " Milliardo, you are my brother. You have taken very young men into your home, men who were once killers, terrorists, inmates in a institution for violent soldiers, and former sexual companions themselves."  
  
"And what am I?" Milliardo asked, looking down at his broad strong hands as if he could see the blood there from all the people that he had killed. "I murdered, and ordered to be murdered, thousands upon thousands of people, sister. I almost carried out a plan to destroy Earth. I... I am still young myself and only my position as your brother and Prince of the Sanq kingdom kept me from the same institution that treated Duo Maxwell so horribly. Your brother is not clean. Your brother is not beyond criticism. Maxwell and Yuy don't taint me or make me an embarrassment to you. I am very capable of being that all by myself. Now, if you'll excuse me, I do have important matters to attend to. I will release my statement to the press shortly."  
  
She drew breath as if to keep on arguing and then her mouth looked as if she had eaten a lemon. She gave a small, curt nod, and then the screen went black.  
  
Milliardo swore under his breath and leaned back in his chair. It creaked in the new silence. Rubbing at his forehead, he punched the intercom button. "Please bring me coffee and pills for a headache."  
  
"Yes, sir," his secretary replied in a worried tone.  
  
No matter what happened, Milliardo thought, no matter what he had to give up, he vowed to himself that Duo Maxwell would stay by his side. If Relena wanted a fight, or to publicly disown him as her brother, he was more than ready to accept the consequences.  
  
Sally Po came into Milliardo's office carrying a cup of coffee and several pain pills. She put them on his desk and then sat down in a chair . "I always enjoy coming to work and finding that a circus has set up camp on the Preventer's doorstep."  
  
Milliardo sighed. He took his pills and took several sips of coffee before answering. "I will be releasing my statement shortly. If you would like me to take a leave of absence until the 'circus' leaves town, I will understand."  
  
Sally snorted in amusement. "Have you ever known me to back down from a fight?" Milliardo raised pale eyebrows and she continued, "I think you're the best thing to happen to my best agents and I'll fight tooth and nail to help you keep that relationship together."  
  
"Even though we're all sleeping together?" Milliardo replied sourly. "Even though I'm a pedophile taking advantage of defenseless, orphan boys? Even though-"  
  
Sally frowned. "Even though you have breakfast with aliens and channel Noventa to help Relena govern?" She shrugged. "The press always has a story to tell and most sane people know they don't have much truth to them."  
  
"When it reaches the level of beginning formal inquiries, you might think differently," Milliardo said .  
  
Sally wasn't stupid. She nodded her understanding. "They'll make the charge that Relena is covering for you, manipulating the authorities to keep you free and continuing your perverted ways."  
  
"Page one, above the fold," Milliardo intoned. "Peacecraft corruption scandal reaches to highest levels of government. New government discredited and collapses under allegations and court challenges. News at six...."  
  
"My, "Sally said with an impish smile. "You do think a lot of yourself."  
  
Milliardo grunted and sipped at his coffee again. "I've always been Relena's Achilles heel. We both knew it was only a matter of time before someone used me against her."  
  
"So," Sally prodded. "You must have a plan, then?"  
  
Milliardo nodded. "She will disown me and throw me to the wolves. We both decided on that early on."  
  
Sally smiled.  
  
Milliardo frowned, "You find that amusing?"  
  
"I'm not amused," Sally corrected him. "I'm heartened by your decision not to throw Duo and Heero to the wolves. I take back everything I've always thought about aristocrats."  
  
Milliardo felt a soft smile touch his lips and he couldn't help telling her, feeling as if he needed to share the strong emotions within him with someone, "Now that Duo is with me... I don't want to know what it would be like to be alone again, to be without him. He's... He's become very special to me. As for Heero," Milliardo's smile turned amused. "He's Duo's best friend and, I think, he's becoming mine too. He is an extraordinary man."  
  
"Amazing," Sally replied. "Before you fell in with Maxwell and Yuy, you were stiff and correct, a military idea. Now..." Her smile widened. "You're a living, breathing, man who happens to be a Preventer officer. That's a much better state of affairs."  
  
Milliardo felt a blush. "I agree."  
  
Sally became all business then. She sat up straighter and she was suddenly 'Head of Preventers'. "Usually, it's against the rules to allow couples to work together," she told him, "but I am not likely to find three more skilled people on Earth or in space."  
  
"There are three more," Milliardo pointed out. "Quatre Winner, Trowa Barton, and Wu Fei."  
  
Sally shrugged. "Trowa and Winner are inactive members and Wu Fei has always worked better as a lone operative. I can't use any of them for an operation of this level."  
  
Milliardo considered his performance during their last mission together. He had been afraid for Duo, but he had made decisions that were sound despite that. Now that their relationship was so much closer, could he still make those important decisions? Milliardo thought that he could.  
  
"Give me the details and I'll brief the men." Milliardo told Sally and saw her approving nod.


	8. Saddle Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. With Kracken's permission, I began manually importing her works to the AO3 as part of an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017.
> 
> I am keeping myself listed as an author to be able to fix any mistakes I might have made when importing. Please note that I am NOT a co-author -- this is all Kracken's brilliance.

"This is highly unusual sir, and I don't believe that you have the authority for it," Noin said, her back ramrod straight, her eyes on the distance, and her hands in tight fists as she stood before Milliardo in his briefing room.  
  
"It is a request, Noin," Milliardo told her. "Please, be seated."  
  
"Yeah, sit down!" Duo told her good naturedly. He and Heero were seated already, stacks of mission briefs strewn before them. "Have some tea, coffee, or whatever. You can tell us no, while you're relaxing."  
  
Noin refused to look at him, or at anyone. "Sir, I believe that Relena Peacecraft has asked that I be returned to her service."  
  
Milliardo sighed. "Is that what you want, Lucretia? Do you want to play babysitter to a contingent of palace guards your entire life?"  
  
Noin's face went hard. "Aren't you asking me to play babysitter to your two star agents?"  
  
Heero stiffened and looked... hurt, an emotion that he quickly hid behind a mask of cold indifference.  
  
Milliardo scowled. "Did you feel like a babysitter on your last assignment?"  
  
Noin's face went sour and she didn't say anything for a long moment. Finally, she ground out, "No."  
  
Heero relaxed imperceptibly. Duo mouthed at him, 'You've got it bad, buddy.' Heero ignored him.  
  
"You worked well together," Milliardo was saying to Noin, "and I need that same teamwork here." Milliardo regarded her stiff posture and then grunted and leaned back in his chair. "I can only offer the position as team coordinator. I can't order you, Noin. If you are that opposed to it, than I can only wish you a good trip returning to my sister's employ."  
  
"We'll have a lot of fun!" Duo told her with a grin. "Come on, Noin! Beating up on the bad guys is a lot better than herding Relena from place to place." He made a shooting motion as if he were firing a gun. "Can't tell me that you didn't like being on a mission with Heero. Together, we'll show you the time of your life."  
  
Noin looked as if she had eaten something bad. "This mission is an important one. Lives are at stake I fail to see what is so amusing about that or why you should-"  
  
"Ah!" Duo pointed a finger at her. "You ARE interested."  
  
Noin flushed and then she snarled, "While I protest my use in this operation, I won't chance it failing by refusing it. We are all highly trained soldiers. Not using those abilities when they are called for would be wrong... criminal in my point of view. Allowing my personal difficulties get in the way of doing what is correct, would be wrong as well."  
  
"Honorable and selfless," Milliardo replied. "Those are two qualities that I have always admired in you, Noin."  
  
"Me, too," Duo interjected.   
  
Noin glared at him, but said to Milliardo, "I will return to Relena's service after this. I do consider that worthwhile service, whatever you think."  
  
"It is worthwhile," Milliardo agreed, "but a waste for someone of your abilities."  
  
Milliardo motioned to a chair across from him. After a moment's hesitation, and a glare at all of them, she did sit, but it was soon obvious, after an hour of briefing, that she was genuinely interested in the mission. She asked many insightful questions, her quick mind laying out a plan that all of them approved of.  
  
Milliardo caught Duo's eye over Noin's head as she bent to look at a topographical map of the target area. Duo winked at him and grinned and Milliardo raised an eyebrow. Duo made a motion between Heero, who was also looking at the map, and Noin. Milliardo frowned, knowing that Duo was implying that he had set up things so that the two could be together. He shook his head, no, but Duo looked disbelieving and grinned wider.  
  
"Care to share, Commander Milliardo?" Noin suddenly asked icily.  
  
Milliardo suddenly realized that both Noin and Heero were looking at him, Heero in simply curiosity, but Noin in an edgy hostility. Duo snickered softly. Damn him anyway, Milliardo thought. His lover could be so unprofessional at the worst of times. Noin was looking for that professionalism now, needed it to save her pride, to help her to make a decision that she wanted to make anyway.  
  
"Duo is reminding me that I should brief you on some things privately. Maxwell and Yuy have some other duties to attend to, "Milliardo said smoothly. Duo stuck his tongue out when the others weren't looking and Milliardo said sternly, "Agents, you're dismissed."  
  
Duo sighed and walked with Heero to the door. "Come on, let's grab something to eat before we head out to the practice field."  
  
When the door were closed firmly behind them, Noin said, as if she were continuing a conversation, "You even braid your hair like him. How am I supposed to believe in your ability to be detached on this mission?"  
  
Milliardo touched his pale braid self consciously. He lowered his hand in the next moment and then said sternly, "Noin, our relationship is newer than our training and our shared violent history. We know our duty and we are used to sacrificing all that we hold dear. Having said that, I do realize that there may come a point where human emotion and frailty come to the fore. That is why I wish you to be the buffer, the failsafe in case of such a failure. I do not anticipate any, but I would be a fool to personally enter into the mission on the field and take any such chance."  
  
"Wise," Noin said simply, "But I have never known you to give up autonomy on the field of battle. How am I to be any sort of 'failsafe' if my actions are not independent of your orders?"  
  
Milliardo replied, "I have always trusted you, Noin, to follow my orders, but I have always trusted you to know right from wrong and to think for yourself."  
  
Noin looked moved, but only briefly and then she was hardening again. She understood that Milliardo was giving her autonomy unofficially. She could ignore his orders if she thought that they were to protect Duo instead of the good of the mission. To put an officer in the field with such a directive spoke of implicit trust. To give that officer an official sanction would have triggered a mission scrub by any commanding officer. It was up to Noin to accept Milliardo's trust or to report him.  
  
"I know my abilities," Noin said.  
  
"So do I," Milliardo replied.  
  
"I accept the mission," Noin announced.  
  
\+   
  
"Shut up," Noin snapped for the fourth time as they made their way through the scrub brush and the rocky hills towards their remote target.  
  
Duo glared and then rolled eyes at Heero, "She has no sense of humor. Why you like her..."  
  
Heero blushed and hunched into his black coat. "Duo..."  
  
"You are childish." Noin snarled.  
  
Duo sighed, "Well, playing 'I spy' isn't the best idea in a place where there are just rocks and bushes, I admit. How about trivia? How many toes does an elephant have?"  
  
"Four," Heero said promptly.  
  
"You're guessing," Duo accused.  
  
"No, I'm not," Heero retorted.  
  
"Yes, you are," Duo retorted back.  
  
"Not."  
  
"Are."  
  
"Not."  
  
"Are."  
  
"Shut up!" Noin shouted, fists clenched.  
  
There was silence and then Heero asked under his breath, "If it isn't four, then how many is it?"  
  
Duo looked thoughtful and then shrugged. "Heck if I know."  
  
"Duo!" Heero exclaimed in irritation.  
  
Duo grinned.  
  
Noin stopped. She kept her back to them and her shoulders seemed to shiver. She straightened and adjusted her coat. Duo and Heero stopped and stared at her.  
  
"Uh, something wrong?" Duo wondered.  
  
Noin took another moment before replying, but her voice seemed oddly strained. "Make camp."  
  
"Oh, okay," Duo replied, confused.  
  
Noin bent and dropped her gear from her shoulders before turning and facing them. She wiped at one eye, but said firmly, "We'll take turns on watch. Me first, then Heero, and then you, Duo."  
  
Duo protested, "You don't have to do that. I'll take watch all night. I can't sleep during missions."  
  
"Why is that?" Noin wondered, displeased.  
  
Duo lost his joker air all at once and his eyes went hooded. "Let's just say, I have first hand experience having Oz get the drop on me. I don't intend to let it happen again."  
  
"I don't like this," Noin replied. "You need to be rested and mission ready."  
  
"Don't underestimate the strength and endurance of a Gundam pilot," Heero told her.  
  
"Yeah, what he said," Duo grinned as he unloaded his own pack. He half turned and touched the radio wand next to his mouth. "Come in Snow White."  
  
There was a silence and then Milliardo replied from his command base, "Snow White?"  
  
"Okay, how about-"   
  
"Commander Milliardo will do," Milliardo snapped and Duo grinned.  
  
"Yes, sir," Duo reported. "Setting up camp. No sign of targets yet."  
  
Noin glared. "Reporting is my job, Maxwell. Set up the cook stove."  
  
Duo quirked an eyebrow. "Yes, ma'am."  
  
As Duo turned away he snorted at Heero, "I just have to hear his voice at least once a day."  
  
Noin stared after him as she said to her radio, "Thank you sir, for saddling me with the most unprofessional loose cannon that I have ever seen. I should scrub this mission at once-"  
  
"If you didn't know that Maxwell is the best operative a commander could hope for," Milliardo cut in, "despite being unorthodox."  
  
"He is making me insane!" Noin complained.  
  
Milliardo sighed, sympathizing. "Did he play, 'I spy' or sing '100 bottles of beer on the wall'?"  
  
"The answer was 'rock' five times, Commander!" Noin exploded in exasperation. "He is insane!"  
  
"And he is the best," Milliardo reminded her calmly. "When it is time, you will see that."  
  
Noin ran a hand through her close cropped, black hair as she paced. "How you can live with him? Yuy is quiet and professional, a soldier's soldier, I would work with him any day, but Maxwell's constant..." She let out an exasperated sound. "My protests will change nothing, am I right?"  
  
"Yes," Milliardo told her and then more softly, "Noin, work with him, not against him, and you will see him as I do."  
  
"How do you see him?" she wondered waspishly.   
  
There was a long pause and then Milliardo said, "Noin, I can't change what I am. I can't change the past. If your personal feelings for me and Maxwell can't be put aside, then I will have to scrub this mission."  
  
"This mission should never have happened," Noin grated under her breath.  
  
Purple eyes suddenly filled Noin's vision. She started as Duo blinked up at her. "Look, Lu," Duo said seriously. "Sorry for bugging you that much, I was out of line, but I know we can do this mission, okay? Don't let Mill scrub it because we have some axes to grind. When push comes to shove, I know you'll do what we have to do." He looked impish. "I know you don't like me being with Mill, but that won't make you let Oz fill me with bullets, or anything, right?"   
  
"No," Noin said, offended at the very idea that she would let personal matters effect her decisions.  
  
"Then we have no problems," Duo told her. He touched his radio, "Bye, commander. We're fine now."  
  
Milliardo replied. "Report at first light."  
  
"Will do," Duo replied and he broke the link. He gave Noin a very intense look. "Okay?"  
  
Noin nodded stiffly.  
  
Duo nodded back and then turned back to his work, he said good naturedly over his shoulder, "And it's all right to laugh at my jokes, Lu."


	9. Move Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. With Kracken's permission, I began manually importing her works to the AO3 as part of an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017.
> 
> I am keeping myself listed as an author to be able to fix any mistakes I might have made when importing. Please note that I am NOT a co-author -- this is all Kracken's brilliance.

"Are you just going to stare at me all night?" Duo wondered as he leaned back on his hands and gazed up at the night sky.   
  
Noin grunted. "I don't see how I can sleep when you aren't standing watch."   
  
Duo gave her a sidelong look. "You know, and I know, there's not a damned thing out here to watch for. I'm awake though, and," he held up the gun that was in his lap, "I'm ready for trouble... from big bad lizards and those nasty chipmunks..."   
  
Noin glanced over to where Heero was asleep in a sleeping bag outside of the tent. She had a tiny frown for that, puzzled and curious. "He trusts you. He didn't sleep at all while we were on that mission together."   
  
Duo looked over at Heero as well and his mouth quirked in a grin. "Heero never sleeps deep. If he hears a sound out of place, he'll be up and aiming his gun before you could blink twice. Me talking... well, he's used to that."   
  
Noin turned her eyes back to Duo and they were appraising. Duo snorted.   
  
"Why don't you just ask?" Duo wondered.   
  
Noin scowled. "Ask what?"   
  
"How Mill puts up with me, why he suddenly lost his mind and fell for me," Duo clarified as he looked back up at the stars. He was frowning... "Well, I don't know, actually. Doesn't seem like we'd get along at all, does it?"   
  
"Your personal life is not my concern, Maxwell," Noin retorted. "How well you operate is."   
  
"You two have got to talk," Duo told her. "Mill treated you bad, led you to believe that there was something between you other than friendship to keep your loyalty. I don't think I'd swallow that too well either... in fact... I'd be damned embarrassed, Lu,"   
  
"Don't call me that!" Noin snapped.   
  
Duo was silent for a moment and then he said, "Okay, Noin, sorry. I just... You're hurting, he's hurting, I'm getting smashed inbetween... and you hate my guts because he loves me. If you're ever going to hook up with Heero, we're all going to have to get over this and make friends."   
  
"Are you insane?" Noin retorted.   
  
Duo's expression twisted bitterly. "Who can blame me if I am?"   
  
Noin regarded him and then moved to sit next to him, almost contrite. "I forget, sometimes..."   
  
"What crappy lives we all led?" Duo finished for her. She nodded and he sighed, tossing a rock away from him. "We didn't even get a break after the war, Noin. Heero and me.... I think we're always going to need each other... We finish each other off... give each other the heart to go through with the rest of our lives..."   
  
"Zechs doesn't do that?" Noin wondered sharply. "I don't think I understand."   
  
Duo tossed another rock and it struck the first unerringly. "I love Zechs more than anything, but we're too different to really get into each other's heads. Sometimes, that's more important, having someone who understands you completely, than loving someone more than breath... When... When I start thinking about all that shit that happened to us... I can't really go to Mill and... and have him talk me through it. He was Trieze's right hand man and he's led a privileged life from day one, respected, admired, worshiped... I'm just L2 street trash that got a kick up the ladder and tossed into a Gundam. He looks at war as honorable and admirable... I just see blood, dead bodies, and a life spent surviving from one minute to the next... sometimes, not even caring about getting to that next minute. You know that's what made us good pilots, don't you? That we all didn't care enough about living our crappy lives that we were willing to die to carry out our orders. It takes a certain amount of 'fucked up' to do that, Noin, when you're fifteen. So, me and Heero click when it comes to knowing what goes on in each other's heads. Mill..." Duo smiled softly. "He's got my heart. Heero grounds me, but Mill makes me fly."   
  
Noin started to leave, unable to face that naked look of love on Duo's face. Duo reached out and caught at her arm. "Noin, Mill played a dirty trick on you, and you have every right to want to kick his ass for it, but he's gay. He can't be with you as much as you want him to be, and being angry, and going through your life letting that eat you up, is just... stupid. You've got so much going for you. " He nodded at Heero.   
  
Noin's voice was like ice. "Do I? Isn't Heero Yuy 'yours' too? Didn't you just spell out how inseparable you two are?"   
  
"As friends," Duo replied as he let her go and clasped his knees. "Heero isn't gay and... even if he were... that was never what we needed from each other. We never clicked that way." He shrugged. "I know most people probably don't see the difference, but there is one and it's in here." Duo touched the center of his chest. "You know what I'm talking about because you feel it too. I know you do by the way you look at that sullen lug over there in that sleeping bag. You don't give Mill looks like that, Noin."   
  
Noin moved away to her own sleeping bag. "You talk to much Agent Maxwell," she grated. "You are on watch, so watch."   
  
"Yes, ma'am," Duo chuckled.   
  
"And... you're wrong, Maxwell," she shot back as she crawled into her sleeping bag. "About everything. Don't presume to 'get into my head', again, is that understood?"   
  
Duo snickered. "Noin, the Queen of Denial," he whispered under his breath.   
  
"I heard that, Maxwell!" Noin snarled.   
  
\+   
  
"There they are, all sitting pretty," Duo smirked as he lowered his binoculars. "They won't know what hit them."   
  
"Let's hope not," Noin growled as she rechecked their supply of explosives once again. "Remember-"   
  
"Take out the equipment, but don't destroy the evidence," Duo finished, rolling his eyes, "and as little casualties as possible. We got it, we got it!"   
  
Noin scowled, but she turned to Heero and calmly said, "I'm going to capture their leader alive and deliver him to HQ. I have the main objective of this operation. Computer information, and the destruction of weapons is important, but you will forget your part of the mission to support mine if the need arises."   
  
"Roger that," Heero replied as he checked his pistol, sliding it in and out of its holster to make certain that it would draw smoothly when he needed it.   
  
"Move out," Noin ordered.   
  
It was then that things suddenly changed. Duo and Heero turned to each other and high fived even as they bent and shouldered their gear. It was like watching a machine come to life, Noin thought, a well oiled machine with only two parts. As one, Duo and Heero began walking, low and undercover. Their hands flicked in signals and they seemed to take cues just from body language as they moved towards the squat installation built into the side of a hill. Noin followed, feeling very much out of place; like a third wheel.   
  
Noin scowled and was determined to keep command as she ordered the men in a low tone to stay with her and to not forget that she was part of the team. She couldn't shake the sense, though, that she was throwing boulders into a stream, stopping a flow that was better left alone. Fleetingly, she wondered how Milliardo coped with them and why it didn't matter in his relationship with Duo. Looking at the young men now, Noin would have thought that they were a couple, a perfect couple, one that belonged together. She couldn't imagine Milliardo coming between them and being able to compete.   
  
Heero kept watch while Duo dismantled observation stations, feeding them loops of blank countryside, and, as they moved closer, it was Heero who crept forward and took out three 'lookouts' posted on the perimeter.   
  
"This is it," Duo grinned as he kneeled by a very large box set into a rock for camouflage. "The main controller for the other lookout drones." He stripped off the cover, disarming alarms, and entered virus information with a speed and confidence that made the hairs on Noin's neck stand up. Her estimation of Duo Maxwell's intelligence went up ten fold. She had never seen someone work so fast on an unfamiliar, alarm rigged, bank of instruments, not even Heero. At last, Duo looked up at them. "Done. They're deaf and blind in there and the doors are all keyed with their passwords. We can enter at will."   
  
"They'll notice very quickly," Noin warned unnecessarily. Heero nodded and Duo shrugged. "Carry out the rest of the plan gentleman."   
  
They went far ahead of her, taking point. She didn't like the fact that there didn't seem to be guards at the entrance that they had chosen, but then she rounded a tumble of rocks and found them. One was garroted and the other had his neck cleanly broken. They looked very young, those dead men, and Noin felt herself go sick and furious. She was ready to blast her companions with a reprimand, but then she saw the detonators rigged on the belts of the dead soldiers and she went cold. Fanatics, she thought, willing to die and take as many as they could with them to keep the installation safe. Heero and Duo hadn't had any other choice, except to kill them.   
  
The doorway was narrow and the hall beyond was long and smelling like chemicals; a supply access. Heero and Duo were already far down the corridor and looking for a panel that would allow them to tap into the computer system. Duo was the brains and Heero the brawn, though Heero's mental capacities weren't lightweight, either. They simply made a better team in that mode. Once they downloaded the information from the computers and uploaded the virus, then they would call in the troops to mop up the place. Their mission was difficult, but Noin's was more so. She had to secure one of the leaders and do it blind. She could roughly guess where the officer quarters might lie, in a more secure part of the place, but her only map was going to be intuition unless Duo could glean from the information the position of those officers.   
  
"Hey, boss girl," Duo's voice came over her com unit in a soft whisper after five minutes.   
  
Noin grabbed the thing at her ear and hissed, "Trouble?"   
  
"Nope, just got your information," Duo replied with a chuckle.   
  
Noin was stunned at the speed of it and then she recovered. "Position?"   
  
"Section B, room 126," Duo replied. "A Kurt Lorim, commander in chief of this outfit. He's listed as in 'downtime' and not to be disturbed. Imagine that shit, a commander with a do not disturb sign. Not very correct is it, boss girl?"   
  
"Stop calling me that!" Noin snarled and then, calming herself with an effort, "No, it's not very correct and he's going to find that it will be his downfall."   
  
"You're scary when you're ready to discipline someone," Duo laughed and then he said more seriously, "Uh-oh, bad guys... we dropped the main virus and it should be screwing up systems momentarily. Me and Heero are scrambling for cover. Later boss girl."   
  
"Don't-!" Noin snarled but the com was dead. She slapped it away from her mouth and gripped her gun tighter. She had to concentrate on her job and forget them for the moment, even though her heart was clenching at the thought of Heero being confronted by enemy soldiers.   
  
\+   
  
"Holding our own," Duo reported cheerily. "Heero! Where's your manners! Leave some for Noin to shoot!"   
  
Adrenaline rushing through her system, Noin couldn't help grinning at Duo's dark humor. She kept it out of her voice, though, as she barked, "Fall back, I have our target!"   
  
"Long way to go to bag a date for Friday night, Noin," Duo snickered and then there was a close, loud shot that rang through the com unit. It was so loud in Noin's ear that she jerked involuntarily and staggered a bit under the unconscious man that she had in a fireman's carry.   
  
"Report!" Noin barked.   
  
"Man down," was Heero's faint reply as more gunshots rang out, muffled by distance. Since he was speaking, it had to be Duo.   
  
"Status!" Noin shouted.   
  
There wasn't a reply. Noin felt her heart hammering in her chest. She gripped her target tighter and managed to almost jog down the corridors of the building.   
  
The building was blind and communications was not working due to the implanted virus. It saved all of their lives. Support didn't come to reinforce the bad guys and, when she rounded a corner, she found Heero's gun nosing at her from where he crouched by Duo. Duo was sprawled on his back at the center of several bullet riddled corpses.   
  
"He better be alive, Yuy!" Noin snarled. "Or I'm going to catch hell!"   
  
"He's alive," Heero replied as he kept his gun ready but no longer leveled on her. "Bullet hole through his ribcage. Bullet hold in his left arm. I administered a med agent to slow blood loss and tissue deterioration. He'll be incoherent and out of action for the remainder of the mission."   
  
Duo looked white, his hair, almost out of its braid, looking like wisps of cinnamon fire about his face. His amethyst eyes, partly open, rolled towards Noin. "Hey, Heero," he said with slurred speech, "Looks like boss girl got her man."   
  
"Maxwell, shut up," Noin retorted. She nodded at Heero. "Make the call to backup and secure this idiot for bug out."   
  
Heero nodded tightly and Noin suddenly saw his eyes. Unlike his stone like, emotionless face, they were filled with almost panicked anguish. "Keep it together, Yuy!" Noin warned.   
  
"Yeah, buddy," Duo said with a grin. "Don't worry.... I'll be ... fine..." He was pressing at his blood covered clothes and looking in intense pain. He gasped out, "Don't worry, Noin, I won't let Mill kill you. I left a note... I'm resp- resposi-responsible for my own shit, Lover, no blamin'- blaming, Boss girl." And then Duo was out cold, going limp. He suddenly looked very fragile and innocent; like an overgrown child.   
  
Heero lifted him up carefully, but Noin could see his arms shaking with emotional reaction. She knew they had to get out of there and quickly. "This way," she ordered and Heero followed her towards an exit. It was the wrong decision, to opt for speed instead of security. Noin knew it as soon as the gunfire started.   
  
Heero put Duo down and she saw first hand his 'mission first' mode. It astounded her, knowing how much he was frightened for Duo. Everything in his demeanor, as he fired back at the men in front of them, told her that he was ready to sacrifice everything. When he barked, "Go, I'll hold them!" It confirmed that impression.   
  
Logic told Noin that help would soon be arriving. Logic told her that he might be able to hold them. Logic told her that she was supposed to get her man to headquarters and how important that was to many lives. Logic had nothing to do with her decision to put her captive down and begin laying down fire herself. She ignored Heero's shout of consternation. "Fall back!" she shouted. "We need to find cover!"   
  
She felt a bullet slice through the skin of one shoulder and one came so close to her head that she could hear it passing by her ear. They made it back behind a turn of the corridor with their burdens though and it seemed a miracle. Noin was finding it hard to believe that they hadn't been filled full of holes as Heero dropped a clip from his gun and slapped in another to continue firing.   
  
"I'm getting my men out!" Noin snarled as Heero opened his mouth to protest her actions. "Follow your orders!"   
  
"Yes, ma'am," Heero replied, but his jaw set hard. "They'll charge soon. Orders?"   
  
"Keep falling back until we find a defensible room," Noin replied as she reloaded her own clip.   
  
"That wasn't the mission," Heero pointed out.   
  
"Now it is," Noin retorted and then waspishly. "Odds of making it out with the target were too small, Heero. We have more of a chance sticking together."   
  
They managed to find an electrical room with a reinforced door. Noin grinned. "They won't want to chance shooting in here. The whole place could go up in smoke. Besides," she checked her watch. "They should have bigger things to worry about any time."   
  
Heero jammed the door and then crouched by Duo. Noin dumped her unconscious man and then explored their hiding place. It was small, ten by ten, but she could almost feel the charge on her skin it was so jammed full of electrical components.   
  
Heero was working with his med kit, injecting Duo with something and packing the wounds with a foam material from a can. Duo, if possible, looked even paler. His breathing didn't sound good either. She watched Heero work over him feverishly, that anxiety in his eyes again.   
  
"Status?" Noin asked.   
  
"Stable... barely," Heero replied.   
  
"What happened?" Noin asked as she checked her com unit. She sighed. As she suspected, the electrical equipment was interfering. Another bad decision. She was almost ready to court martial herself.   
  
"I was attempting to pull off an access panel when we were attacked," Heero replied tensely. "Duo pushed me aside and took the bullets."   
  
Noin was amazed. She had pegged Duo as shallow and self centered, that he had saved Heero... She looked down at Duo's pale face and couldn't help feeling a wave of gratitude and respect.   
  
"I need to know what's going on," Noin said, bringing herself back to the mission. "You stay here with them and I'll check on our 'friends' out there."   
  
Heero nodded and then said, "Your decisions were sound. Splitting up would have been chancing too much since we were already discovered. I shouldn't have questioned you."   
  
Noin glared, but it was more at herself than Heero. "I was questioning your ability to be objective and to do what this mission required. I should have been questioning myself. I'm the one that fell short. Nothing I've decided had to do with strategy."   
  
"I remember," Heero said as he made Duo more comfortable, "Commander Milliardo telling me how you hated your men to die and how you thought that it was unnecessary."   
  
"I was young and ... naive," Noin grated, flushing. "But, I still don't like my men dying." One man inparticular, she thought, but she would never tell him that. She could hardly admit it to herself.   
  
"I should be the one to go," Heero said suddenly and straightened. He checked the clip in his gun. "I'm expendable. So is Duo. You must secure the prisoner."   
  
Noin snorted. "You're much stronger than I am, Yuy. You have a much better chance of carrying the target out of here."   
  
"Your rank and experience make your survival more important-" Heero began, but a weak voice cut him off.   
  
"Will you two just shut up and kiss!" Duo murmured irritably. His eyes were open slits, his face filled with pain and annoyance. "I've never seen such stubborn, pig headed.. You can both sit the fuck down. Nobody's dying today." He looked around them blearily. "Good idea, boss lady. Sit tight... that's all you have to do... until Mill comes for us..."   
  
"You sound certain that he will, " Noin growled back.   
  
Duo smiled wanly as he slipped back into unconsciousness. "I am."


	10. Tell it Like it Is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. With Kracken's permission, I began manually importing her works to the AO3 as part of an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017.
> 
> I am keeping myself listed as an author to be able to fix any mistakes I might have made when importing. Please note that I am NOT a co-author -- this is all Kracken's brilliance.

It all happened quickly. Enemy forces were suddenly not there and Preventer troops were pouring in, wearing blast armor and face shielding. Noin was shouting orders as soon as they came into view. Her target was taken and whisked off to safety. A transport was called to take them all to a hospital. While they waited, a medic kneeled by Duo and began hurriedly trying to save his life while demanding to know their status at the same time. Troops continued to pour in and the mop up operation was in full swing. Only then did Noin and Heero relax enough to answer questions.   
  
"Negligible," they both said at the same time.   
  
The medic spared them both a glare. "Why don't I believe that?"   
  
"Status!" a familiar voice barked over Noin's com unit.   
  
Milliardo had waited long enough, had only allowed himself to call them when he was certain he had completed his duties. Noin found it hard to speak. She looked at Heero, who's eyes were on Duo, his world under his hands and the future of that world frail and uncertain. It was Milliardo's future as well, Noin thought, but that thought didn't have the same bitterness it once had.   
  
"Duo is injured, several shots," Noin reported. "He is scheduled for immediate evac. The transport will be arriving shortly. The Target has been acquired and is in transport to Preventer headquarters. Units are still engaged."   
  
"Duo," Milliardo said in a choked voice and then pulled himself together. He gave a string of orders for the units and then said, "You will accompany Heero and Duo to the hospital. You are all three off the field as of now. You will give me your full report as soon as you are checked out."   
  
"Yes, sir," Noin replied correctly and then said, "He will be allright. We'll make sure of that..."   
  
An empty promise. Noin couldn't offer Milliardo anything more, but she saw Heero nod tightly as if agreeing with her, as if he had the power to keep death away from his dearest friend.   
  
The ride to the hospital was something that Noin wished to forget. Once Heero was out of the field, he changed. He clung to Duo, his hands wrapped around one of his friend's and his entire being became centered on that limp figure now covered in needles, plastic tubes, and monitors. The emergency crew worked feverishly around him, not dislodging Heero from his place, as if they realized just how dangerous that could be.   
  
Watching Heero from her of the transport, Noin couldn't help painting a broader picture, one that made her heart clench. Heero's entire being was wrapped up in Duo. Where was there room for anything else... for anyone else? She couldn't see it; couldn't see herself coming inbetween that, when she dared to imagine it at all. It was love that they had for one another, perhaps not sexual, as they both claimed, but love nonetheless, and a love so strong that separation might mean death for the both of them, she feared. It was in Heero's eyes, a promise of tragic consequences if Duo didn't pull through.   
  
"No," Heero said when someone noticed his bleeding arm. "Take care of Noin. I will be allright."   
  
Noin started at that notice and she felt confusion. Heero's eyes had not looked at her, his attention hadn't wavered, but he had asked that she be taken care of. She didn't know what to think. It seemed at all odds with her assumptions. How did Milliardo deal with this? How did he cope with being first in love, but second to this deep and abiding friendship of theirs? Was a seconds' worth of caring enough for him? Was knowing that his lover wouldn't live for him, but would die without his 'other half', acceptable? Somewhere, deep down, she wondered if it was acceptable to her.   
  
"Jeez, look at all these scars..." one of the emergency crew muttered as he cut the rest of Duo's jacket and shirt away to attach more medical equipment and to look for more wounds. One of his men grunted in question and the man traced something with his finger. "Can't barely seem them unless you have a strong light like this." He tapped the over head, bright light. "He must have had them worked on, but there are a shit load of them."   
  
"Just work," Heero grated.   
  
A man bent by Noin and began helping her pull off her jacket. Bullets clattered to the floor, shaken loose from the tough protective fabric of her gear. A few had breached it, but they had only grazed flesh here and there. That begged a question.   
  
"Why didn't Duo have on his gear?" Noin snarled in anger.   
  
"He did," Heero replied tightly. "He took a hit early on from someone with a plasma round." He lifted up Duo's shirt and jacket without moving his gaze from Duo. There was a large hole in both articles of clothing and the edges look burned. "He barely had enough time to get the mesh it was lodged in off before it melted to his skin," Heero continued. "I took the man out and, luckily, he was the only one equipped with that kind of weapon or we'd all be dead."   
  
Noin swallowed hard. Plasma guns were banned and for good reason. They would melt through anything and were damned unstable.   
  
"Luckily I didn't have my nipple ring in," Duo snickered weakly and the emergency crew chuckled.   
  
Heero's full attention snapped back to Duo and Noin could see that he wasn't going to acknowledge anything else anytime soon. Duo was still among the living, still cracking jokes, and still able to lighten even that grim situation.   
  
"Mill?" Duo asked softly.   
  
"He knows," Heero assured him.   
  
Duo made a small sound, "He'll worry."   
  
"Yes," Heero agreed.   
  
"Damn..." Duo drifted off again.   
  
"He'll be at the hospital," Noin said to no one in particular. "Then you can both stay with Duo." She hadn't meant the words to mean anymore than that, but they did, and they were tinged with pain.   
  
+  
  
They landed at the hospital and Noin was left behind as Duo was rushed into emergency. Heero was allowed into the inner sanctum to be with Duo, some sort of paperwork giving him special dispensation. Noin could understand why. She didn't think that anything short of killing the man would get him away from Duo even in surgery.   
  
Noin was stitched and bandaged by a competent nurse and then left to wander cold hallways. She found the commissary and managed to eat, though she couldn't remember what is was. Once 'refueling' was out of the way, she took up a station by a hospital room, one that a nurse had assured her would be Duo's once he was out of surgery. it was private and someone was already inside removing things.   
  
"What are you doing?" Noin asked and her voice came out hoarse and weary sounding.   
  
The male nurse grunted as he rolled a cart out of the room. "One of our patients doesn't like hospitals. I was given orders to remove anything sharp that he could use as a weapon or as a means to escape. Isn't that nuts? Must be a criminal or something... " He eyed her rough appearance. "Are you his guard?"   
  
"No, I am," a voice said behind Noin and she turned with a start and saw Milliardo striding towards her. He was a tall man and his flowing white hair and crisp uniform coat made him seem larger than life in the confines of the hospital hallway. His blue eyes studied the nurse and the cart. "Very good," he commented with a nod. The man grunted and wheeled his cart away.   
  
Noin felt her heart sink. "I suppose that I should be going too. Permission to return to headquarters, sir."   
  
"Denied," Milliardo replied, but then amended, "I was told that you weren't seriously injured, but if you are tired..."   
  
"Orders, sir," Noin said cutting across that and forcing herself to straighten.   
  
Milliardo considered her and then nodded. "Duo doesn't like hospitals. It is possible that he will regain consciousness, not realize the situation, and attempt to leave."   
  
"War flashback?" Noin wondered.   
  
Milliardo's face went hard. "No, he was attacked by former soldiers of Oz after the war and spent some time in an institute under criminal conditions. Heero protected him, but he still carries scars from the ordeal, mental and physical. He doesn't trust, Noin, but it is imperative that he stay and undergo treatment."   
  
"Do you know how the surgery is going?" Noin asked, remembering the medic talking about scars and understanding now, some of Duo's darker comments.   
  
Milliardo looked pained. "They have stabilized him, but he lost a lot of blood."   
  
Noin studied the tall man before her, saw the fear and the frustration. "How do you do it?" she wondered and couldn't helped the bitterness. "He's in there with Duo," she said, meaning Heero, "and he has more right than you do to stay by his side."   
  
Milliardo stared at her for a long moment and then said carefully, "Lu... If you were in a tight spot, a pitched battle, and you felt that you just might die... would you rather that I was with you, unarmed, or that you held a weapon to defend yourself?"   
  
Noin blinked, her mind working on this new idea, this insight into his relationship with Duo and Heero.   
  
"No matter how much you cared for me," Milliardo pointed out, "I would be useless to you. You might die. I might die. Heero... Heero is like a weapon and a shield. He is also Duo's dearest, closest friend. Duo gives Heero's life direction and purpose. He gives Heero the means to live this new life of keeping the peace and being something other than a soldier. Heero in turn, keeps Duo safe, watches his back, and gives Duo the understanding that he needs when the past haunts him. You've watched them work..."   
  
"Like two parts of one machine..." Noin replied thoughtfully.   
  
Milliardo nodded. "Yes, that's it exactly. You can't imagine them separately. One has the exact abilities that the other needs to work perfectly. That's the way they are on a mission and in life, Noin. It was hard, but I had to understand and accept that. Duo comes to me for love. He is in my arms at night. There are times, though, when I'm not enough, when he needs that other half of himself. I have to let go then." He smiled gently. "It isn't so hard, Lu. Heero is a man who is very easy to like. I know I can trust him with Duo. I know that he will be there when I can't. "   
  
"You have to share," Noin said, uncertain what the hard lump in her gut was telling her, whether she found that acceptable or not.   
  
"I have to share," Milliardo affirmed. "I have to have two men in my life, not one." He seemed to search for words and then he said, "You have to decide, Noin, whether you truly love. It isn't about OWNING someone exclusively. It's about caring... about caring enough..."   
  
Noin scowled. "How is this about me?" She snapped.   
  
"Isn't it?" Milliardo replied with an arched eyebrow.   
  
Noin's reply was cut off by the approach of a group of hospital staff, Heero, and Duo . Milliardo forgot her instantly and rushed to Duo's side. Stretched out unconscious on a gurney, he seemed pale and lifeless. The hand Milliardo clutched, was lax and fragile seeming as he walked with the others into Duo's room.   
  
"He went through the surgery well," the doctor was saying as they put Duo into his hospital bed and began hooking his lines to IV stands and monitors. "Amazing, truly amazing... he stabilized with incredible speed and his vital signs are strong. I've heard about the phenomenal physical abilities of Gundam pilots, but I never believed them until now." He checked Duo's pupils and his pulse. "I had to give him enough morphine to take down an elephant, but even with that, I think he's beginning to come around. He'll be in pain. "   
  
Their presence in the room wasn't questioned. Milliardo's rank, and being in a Preventer hospital, gave them a great deal of freedom they otherwise would have been denied in normal circumstances. Duo's of times violent aversion to hospitals seemed well documented as well and the doctor was more than willing to have help dealing with him after glancing over his chart.   
  
Once everyone was gone, Heero and Milliardo moved to stand on either side of Duo's bed, looking down at the pale, unconscious man with twin looks of worry.   
  
The lump in Noin's gut turned very bitter. She felt ... alone... outside... useless. She turned to go, thinking that they wouldn't notice, but Heero suddenly shivered and his eyes looked so pained that she stopped and her heart clenched.   
  
Milliardo reached across the bed and squeezed Heero's shoulder in support and comfort. His comfort was brief, though, his attention on Duo, and it was then that Noin saw a lack. Heero was, in essence 'outside' as well. Milliardo had to make room for Heero and that said it all, 'make room for him' because he wasn't really loved as Milliardo and Duo loved each other. He was the 'best friend' and, though he could live with them and share a life with them, he would always be the 'outsider' to their love. Noin saw it, finally. Heero was alone, just as she was. He was in Duo's soul, but he wasn't in Duo's heart. When Duo awoke, Noin knew that his eyes would turn to Milliardo first, not to Heero. That was the difference both Milliardo and Duo had been trying to explain to her.   
  
Noin looked at Milliardo, at the tall handsome man that had stolen her heart... but, had it been her heart or only her admiration? He had never been hers. The look he was giving Duo would never be hers either. That feeling they would never share. When she looked at Heero though, at the young man who had been her enemy during the war, yet, never truly an enemy, she felt the difference, felt that leap of heart, that connecting of soul that told her, here was someone who could be a part of her, a part that she had been needing for so long, but had never known it until she had met him. All that she had to do was give up the past, forget her bitterness, and bend her stubborn pride to stop the loneliness for the both of them... if he would accept... if he would have her...   
  
Noin felt as if she were stepping into a nest of enemy mobile suits. It seemed to take the same kind of courage as she forced herself to move forward to Duo's bedside. She stood beside Heero, feeling his warmth, sensing his anguish, for long moments and then, cautiously, she reached out and took hold of his tanned, calloused hand. He started and looked at her in surprise. Noin almost feared rejection in the way his hand tensed, but then it relaxed and gripped back, hard. She saw the echo of her feelings in his deep, blue eyes and felt, suddenly, as if she had just come home.   
  
"Good," Duo murmured, his face grimacing and his eyes slightly hazed with drugs as he looked at the people standing over him. " 'bout time you idiots came to yer senses... Now we can be a damned family... "   
  
The lump in Noin's gut released itself suddenly and she felt tears in her eyes as she nodded. Yes, that was it, that's what they were; not strange, not out of the ordinary, not breaking all the rules... family.  
  
The End


End file.
